Derelicta Filius
by DWAR
Summary: The Holy Sword's Project was not the only skeleton in the Church's closet. A survivor's mission of revenge gets interrupted by the unexpected situation of demonic servitude, and will either result in further bloodshed for his enemies, or will help him find a measure of peace that has been lacking since he began his journey. (Rated T for now, but will upgrade it later)
1. Intro

He ran.

Despite the fact that he was close to losing consciousness, he ran.

Despite the painful stinging of his back, and the burning pain in his legs, he ran.

Despite the howling winds and blistering cold, he ran.

Even if he wanted to disobey his sister's final command, the 9-year-old boy knew that he was in no condition to help his sister punish those who destroyed his family and that his absence would allow his sister the chance to successfully fight off their pursuers before they could be reunited again.

But while fear and a healthy dose of self-loathing fuelled his efforts to keep moving, it was overshadowed by an all-consuming emotion that the black-haired boy had never before experienced until this evening.

Hatred.

Hatred for those responsible for setting his village on fire.

Hatred for those who struck his father down as he attempted to defend his family from those who cared nothing for the lives of the screaming inhabitants of his burning village.

Hatred for the monsters who killed his brother as he stood valiantly over the mutilated body of their father.

And perhaps the most important of all, hatred for the winged creature that had plunged a sword of white fire directly into the swollen stomach of his pregnant mother as she told her remaining children to flee.

It was only him and his elder sister, who at the age of 15 bore a strong resemblance to their now deceased mother, who managed to escape the all-consuming fires of their home's funeral pyre. And for a brief moment, it looked like they would be able to escape the misfortune of their fallen family and survive the nightmarish events of the winter night.

But unfortunately, that was not to be as the destroyers of their home had been tasked with the purpose of eliminating all members of their village, which meant that the pair of fleeing siblings were soon overtaken by the relentless pursuers.

Knowing that both of them would perish if they attempted to fight their way to freedom, and aware that her little brother was in no condition to fight even if he possessed the same level of training she had, the black haired girl did the only thing she could think of that would allow them the chance to avenge their fallen friends and family.

Using her more develop gifts to temporarily stall her cross wearing pursuers, the determined girl turned to her wide-eyed younger brother with a look of determination.

"Promise me, little brother. Promise that you'll run as fast as you can, and never look back".

Giving a reluctant nod to his sister, for as good as she was he doubted that in her exhausted condition she could stand against 10 opponents by herself, he felt himself being engulfed in a brief, but fierce hug, and before he knew it, he was flying through the air well away from the developing battle.

As he fled through the darkened snow-covered forest, the cold threatening to envelop him in a blanket of eternal darkness, Dante Inumbro swore he would one day avenge the fate of his family, by killing the ones who had not only performed the task of slaughtering his loved ones, but also the ones responsible for ordering this winter massacre.

...

 **Authors Note: Title means Forsaken Son in Latin.**

 **Apologies for rewriting this story, but was looking over it the other day, and decided that it could improve upon not only with its grammar, but also its story elements and the general personality of the player.**

 **Stating right now that I'm borrowing a lot of supernatural material that I use from other sources (i.e. Supernatural and maybe Lucifer :P) while the powers...I admit I had the idea for the longest time, and didn't realize there was already a sacred gear that does more or less the same thing of what I envisioned.**

 **Not going to go with the cliché story genre of having the OC overpowered to the point where he can effortlessly take out a Maou or a 12 winged Angel with Ease. Instead, while he is powerful in his own right, and increases in strength after being turned into a Devil, he will only be able to increase his power the old fashioned way...heavy training.**

 **Of course, this doesn't make him less of a threat to various opponents because raw power can be countered with cunning and improvisation, which can be just as brutal as blasting everything in sight with demonic energy.**

 **While I haven't quite decided on the structures of the harems/single pairings, since some of them may be killed off, or simply express a temporary interest before they decide not to pursue a relationship with someone else, here is the basic idea of the direction I'm thinking.**

 **Issei: Asia, Koneko, Ravel, Xenovia, Irina.**  
 **OC: Akeno, Kuroka, Serafall,**

 **Anyways...Reviews are appreciated since not only does it allow me to see that my story is being well received, but helps me to improve it as it goes along.**


	2. Chp 1 Introduction of the Shadow

Early afternoon at Kuoh Academy began as it usually did.

The members of the Sports Club were hard at work practicing their skills for the next competition, the Kendo Club was in the process of refreshing themselves after a rigorous hour of practicing their growing skills with the sword, and as always, the academy's infamous perverted trio was doing all that they could to spy on the private, undressed moments of the school's female population.

Having discovered a new viewing station in which they could peep into the private showers of the Kendo Club without detection, the usual level of bickering had broken out as the selfish nature of the perverted mindset began to make itself known.

"Come on man, you've been hogging the peephole for the past 2 minutes. I want at least 1 minute of viewing teenage breasts before they decide to get dressed".

Though he was regarded by many to be the trio's unofficial leader, Issei Hyoudou knew that when the chance came along to view the female form in all its magnificent glory, the bonds of friendship no longer mattered to his fellow perverts, as the only thing that mattered to them, as well as himself, was whether or not they could fulfill their desire to see a naked woman without the use of the internet.

So it was without any surprise that the bald-headed Matusda refused to give up his viewing station to his fellow pervert.

"Noooo way dude. Murayama and Katase have just entered the shower without any towels to hide their glorious bodies. And boy do they look fiiinnneeee today".

Knowing that Matusda would in all likelihood refuse to allow his friends to partake in the joy that was spying on n*** teenagers, Issei, and his fellow perverted, the bespectacled Motohama, resorted to the only tactic that could convince their fellow pervert to relinquish his viewing station.  
Bribery.

"Bro I'll lend you my new volume of Busty American Nurses if you step aside. It's more than a fair trade. The new DVD has this scene were this boobalicious redhead gets it on with...".

"DUDE Spoilers! And you already promised to lend it to me after I gave you that limited edition copy of Busty and Bouncy"

Adopting a serious expression that somehow seemed out of place considering the topic they were discussing, Motohama dealt with the brunette pervert's complaint with the same attitude that one would use on a misbehaved toddler.

"Issei, the Pervert's Code clearly states, that when the opportunity to view exposed female flesh presents itself, a pervert is allowed to use any means at his disposal to accomplish such a task. That means that since I have yet to give my DVD, I can use it to trade for a chance to spy on the toned bodies of our academy's most violent members".

Frowning at the unfairness of his predicament, though it was a tad hypocritical considering he had used that same rule to his advantage countless times over the past year, and unwilling to pass up on the chance to witness some shower action, Issei decided to unleash his most dangerous weapon.

"Matusda, if you trade positions with me, I'll give you my limited blue ray edition of Hot Locker Rooms 6. The one with the fabled, deleted hot tub scene with Chiyasa and Harumi".

Shocked by the brunette's offer to trade his most prized possession for what would probably be only a minute of voyeuristic pleasure, Matsuda was still somewhat reluctant about accepting the deal. It wasn't because it was an unfair trade, if anything Issei was the one who was getting ripped off, but because it had been some time since he got to indulge in his desires without the aid of technology, the bald headed pervert had to make sure that the largely one sided deal was worth it.

"Is that the one where they supposedly motor boat each other until they get interrupted by..."?

Eager to get the deal over with before the girls left the showers, Issei interrupted his fellow voyeur before he finished his question.

"Yup! That's the one. But the deal is only valid if you move out of the way right now".

Decision made, Matusda backed away from the peep hole.

"Bro you got a deal".

Eagerly pressing his face against the wall, and ignoring the jealous glare that was being sent his way by the outbid Motohama, Issei was instantly rewarded with the tantalizing vision of teenage girls showering. And being more selfless when it came to sharing the wealth, he willingly told his fellow perverts exactly what he was witnessing.

"Man you were right dude, Katase and... OH SHIT We've got a dropped soaped scenario going on here. And Murayama is the one whose bending over. Damm that girl's got great oppai. And... OH MY GOD! She just handed the soap to Katase and their now washing each other. There is a god".

Naturally, instead of promoting greater unity amongst the trio, Issei's commentary merely served to infuriate his more self-serving comrades, who proceeded to try and usurp the brunette's position so they could get a chance to view the steamy shower action for themselves.

"Dude get out of the way. A 20 minute deleted scene is no match for a real time back scrubbing session".

"You and Issei have already had your turn bro. I want to see some skin on skin action, so stop hogging the peep hole".

Trying his best to fight off his fellow perverts, something that was quite difficult to accomplish since in a rare moment of unity they decided to work together before they commenced struggling with each other, Issei was about to voice his objections to once again getting the short end of the stick when a polite, yet frosty voice distracted the perverts from their squabble.

"Not that it's any of my business, but would you 3 care to tell me what you're doing"?

Their bickering momentarily forgotten, the trio turned towards the unwelcome interloper who had dared to interrupt their perverted viewing. And as they took in the appearance of the stranger, their irritation quickly turned to jealousy as they realized that this guy could seriously damage their chances of getting a girlfriend.

Sporting a casual black sports coat, with an expensive looking white dress shirt and black dress pants to complete his casual appearance, the boy's wardrobe gave off the not so subtle appearance of wealth. But unlike some of the more affluent males at the academy, this newcomer didn't seem to purposefully use his chosen style to draw attention, something that would have been remarkably easy given his more unique physical features.

If there was one thing the trio hated most, besides rich snobs and pretty boy heroes, it was a foreigner who could combine the previous traits and use his unique features to score as many babes as possible. A tall broad shouldered frame, short black hair that seemed reflect the sun, and piercing blue eyes that helped draw attention to his Caucasian features, it was easy to see why the trio would see this newcomer as potential competition.

However, while his two friends were merely staring at the intruder with expressions of contempt that were usually reserved for Kuoh's white prince, Issei couldn't help but think that there was something off about this interloper. Almost as if he was in the presence of a stalking predator that hadn't quite decided if it wanted to play before it devoured its next meal

Unlike their brunette comrade, Matsuda and Motohama felt only righteous anger for having their perverted actions interrupted, and proceeded to tell the stranger just how unwelcome he was.

"Piss off buddy. We don't want your kind around here".

"Yeah get lost. Theirs 3 of us, and only 1 of you. So if you don't want to get hurt, beat it".

Raising an eyebrow at his less than friendly welcome, the well-dressed boy merely tilted his head as if he was trying to determine whether or not he should take them seriously.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of challenging 3 such upstanding gentlemen as yourselves. However, I'm not sure what you mean by 'my kind'. While I admit that Japan is not my country of origin, I do have a rather good grasp on your language, so if you would please clear up this misunderstanding, I'd be more than happy to let you return to your activities".

Scoffing at the guy's attempt at civility, Matsuda decided to tell the blue-eyed foreigner exactly why he wasn't welcome.

"What we mean is we don't want another fake pretty boy messing up our affairs. Stealing all the available hotties for yourself with your innocent smiles and charms makes it hard for the average man to get a girl. Now if you don't mind, get lost before we decided to drive home our point with our fists".

Amused by the threating posture of the perverts, though he noticed that the brunette didn't appear to offer the same level of animosity as his likeminded comrades, the foreigner merely accepted the hostile dismissal with a slightly mocking nod of his head.

"As you wish. Though I feel I must warn you, it is my experience that karma is a rather fast acting agent when it comes to preserving the sanctity of female virtue. So if I were you, I would seriously rethink your current activity lest you become the unfortunate victims of an angry mob".

Turning his back on the 3 perverts, the foreign-born stranger was gone before the lecherous trio could fully process the fact that they had just been insulted. But when they realized it, they briefly forgot their earlier peeping activities and started to rail against the injustice of having another person interrupt their collected perversions.

"Who the hell does that foreign bastard think he is? It's bad enough that the local women don't appreciate our admiration, but now we have to put up with rich pretty boys who can score more tail in a week then we can get in a lifetime".

Nodding his head in agreement with Matsuda's largely delusional ramblings, Motohama voiced his own opinion on the perceived cause of their misfortune.

"I know man. That's what we get for going to a private school. The girls are hypocritical prudes who won't flash their money makers in public but will gladly do it in a secluded place, and the guys are all jerks who only beat us up so they look good for the ladies".

Though he liked to think that their lack of success was caused by the fact that most of the girls were already in relationships, or were too impressed by their manliness to even consider tying them down to a single woman, Issei nevertheless voiced his agreement with his bespectacled comrade before reminding them of their previous task.

"True that dude. But look on the bright side. Pretty boy's gone now, and there's still plenty of action going on in the showers. So what do you say we focus our attention on... HEY!"

Shoved out of the way by his so-called friends in their attempt to hog the peep hole, the trio was completely oblivious to the presence of a human-sized shadow that had appeared soon after the foreign boy's departure.

Having a general distaste for anyone who talked about him behind his back, and recognizing that their perverted activities had given him a useful opportunity for getting off on the right foot with the majority of the Devil run academy, the man-shaped silhouette quickly slithered through the school's lengthening shadows until it found itself in front of the private change room of the Kendo Club.

Ensuring that the coast was clear of any visible threats, and stretching out his senses to ensure that there were no invisible guardians keeping a watch over the immediate area, Dante willed his body to return to the realm of the physical, and adopting an embarrassed expression, he quickly knocked on the locker room door.

He didn't have to wait long before the door was answered by the pink haired girl, a towel wrapped snuggly around her athletically toned body, and wearing a look that clearly stated that he better have a good reason for being in what should be a girls only area.

"Yes? Can I help you"?

Unperturbed by the hostility of the girl's voice, and keeping his eyes glued to her not unattractive face, Dante did his best to ensure his tone came across as both apologetic and friendly.

"Hi, I'm sorry to bother you, but theirs 3 suspicious looking characters behind the building, and from what I could see, they appeared to be preoccupied with this small viewing hole behind the bushes. Can't imagine why though cause all I heard when I passed by it was the faint sound of rushing water, and if I wasn't imagining it, soft laughter".

Hearing this, Katase's slightly irritated expression transformed into a look that could only be described as murderous rage. And as she turned to scream at her fellow sword-wielding enthusiasts, she missed the brief smirk of sadistic satisfaction that passed over the blue-eyed foreigner's face.

"EVERYONE GET OUT OF THE SHOWERS NOW! THOSE CREEPS ARE SPYING ON US AGAIN".

Hearing the enraged cries of her fellow members, Katase turned a narrowed gaze back to her whistle-blower, who had managed to school his expression back into the embarrassed, yet helpful look he had been sporting before.

"Not to sound ungrateful, but why are you telling us this? If this is some elaborate scheme to gain our confidence just so you can act out your own twisted perversions later, I warn you that your punishment will be the same as those 3 creeps".

Doing his best not to laugh at the girl's largely empty threat, for as good as she was with the sword he was undoubtedly better, Dante tried to look as sheepish as possible as he proceeded to explain why he took it upon himself to rat out the peeping pervs.

"Well, since I've just recently transferred to the academy, and thinking that it wouldn't hurt to try and avoid the stereotypical fate of an ostracized new kid, I thought that if I could somehow win the appreciation of the club that is as skilled as yours, I might be able to make my stay in this country more than tolerable. The fact that the first club I chose to help happened to be comprised solely of beautiful women was merely a coincidence".

Hiding his amusement at how easily the pinkette succumbed to a tiny little bit of flattery, though it seemed to be a shared trait amongst the club who had quickly armed themselves at their leader's words only to sport heavy blushes on hearing him offhandedly praise their physical appearance, Dante's previous bashful expression morphed into something that could only be described as predatory as he decided to get the girls back on track.

"Now as much as I have enjoyed our little chat, don't you ladies have somewhere to be. I would hate to be the one who prevented those...misguided student's from receiving a well-deserved lesson in respect".

Flashing them a conspiratorial grin as they left to seek out their targets, Dante proceeded in the opposite direction, content in the knowledge that not only had he established his public persona as a charming,helpful foreign exchange student, but he also managed to discover the identity of a unawakened sacred gear user.

And though it wasn't his hobby to collect them like a certain lecherous crow, or reincarnate the gear holder into a demonic minion, an unaware gear holder nevertheless piqued his interest. For while an unaffiliated individual might not automatically gain the interest of the more publically accepted members of the 3 factions, Dante couldn't dismiss the fact that the church might also be keeping a close watch on the pervert. And if that was the case, well he would be more than delighted to partake in the act that would ensure his place in the 5th circle of hell once he finally kicked the bucket.  
Forcing his features back into those of a stereotypical hapless teenager, since it wouldn't be a good for his developing image if he walked around with a smirk that one would expect to find on a stalking predator, and doing his best not to chuckle as the air was filled with the delightful sounds of pain filled cries and furious shouting, the black-haired foreigner calmly made his way to the principal's office.

However, to his growing annoyance, it appeared that his whistle blowing had managed to attract the attention of the academy's student population much quicker than he expected. And while that wasn't necessarily a bad thing in itself, the content of the whispered gossiping was starting to get on his nerves.

"Did you see what he did"?

"He sure got those perverts in trouble"

"Surprised he didn't join them in their disgusting habits"

"I wouldn't mind if he peeked on me, he's soo handsome"

"You think he'd be open to sex on the first date"?

"Boy with that much confidence must be packing some heavy artillery, if you know what I'm saying"

Trusting that his public mask would hold up until he could find a way to vent his more violent feelings, Dante calmly ignored his surprising number of fans and continued to walk further in the Devil operated school.

And as he gratefully moved out of earshot of the increasingly raunchy whisperings, he took a moment to contemplate the nature of humans who lived and worked in Devil controlled territory.

 _"Why is it, whenever I come across a town that is secretly governed by either bats or crows, the locals always seem more than willing to indulge their lustful feelings if they happen to see something that they find attractive. Oh well, can't really do much of anything about it without alerting the devils to my presence, and since I have no quarrel with the forces of hell, it's probably best if I remain on my best behaviour while I'm in their little fiefdom. Though I am curious as to why they're allowing that pervert to retain his humanity since he has a sacred gear. Probably seeing if he's worth the piece they need to spend in order to give him bat wings, but they could have already decided to reject his membership. Still, as long as he remains human, the pervert might have still had some use, for if hell won't take him, it stands to reason that those sanctimonious pricks might recruit him to their cause... And while I'm not sensing any pure angelic presence in the area, though there is some evidence of crow activity, perhaps they've entrusted their observation to their human underlings. Not my desired target, but I'm not one to pass up the opportunity to vent my frustrations on their cross-wielding underlings"._

Smirking in anticipation for the fun he would surely have if he got his hands on some heavenly fanatic, Dante Inumbro continued his way into the school building, chuckling at the sight of the school's perverted trio's vain attempts to escape the clutches of the infuriated Kendo club members. And blissfully unaware that his actions had garnered notice from the town's supernatural guardians.

...

"Honestly Rias, I understand that you have a penchant for accepting unusual individuals into your peerage, but I can't see why you would want Issei Hyodo as your newest servant. While I admit that he is as obnoxious as his like-minded compatriots, the boy is clearly an unrepentant lecher, and seriously lacks the maturity to make a successful devil. Do you really think that it's wise to waste a piece on such a perverse human"?

Regarding the crimsoned haired heiress of the Gremory clan with an incredulous expression, Sona Sitri, next in line to assume the position as head of the Sitri clan, was somewhat surprised by the answer she received from the decisively more curvaceous devil.

"Oh, Sona you couldn't be more wrong. While I admit his chosen hobby is a bit...unusual, you have to admit that he doesn't falter in his pursuit of the thing he wants the most. I think that sort of persistence and determination would make an excellent addition to any peerage, provided of course the boy's master has the patience to make him focus beyond his base desires".

Despite being raised together since childhood, not to mention the fact that they were the younger siblings of 2 of the Underworld's more immature Devil Kings, the differences in physical appearances and personality would at first glance give people the wrong impression that their relationship failed to extend past simple school acquaintances.

Few people would believe that the black-haired Sona, who possessed a slime but perfectly feminine figure as well as a strict no-nonsense attitude, would ever get along well with the crimson-haired Rias, whose decisively more voluptuous frame and regal, yet friendly disposition had awarded her the prestigious position of being Kuoh Academy's most popular student.

But such was not the case. And it was because of their friendship, which at times managed to bring out the competitive nature of the two pure-blooded Devil, that the two heiresses had been appointed to rule over the previously vacant territory of Kuoh. With Sona's peerage assuming authority during the daytime, and Rias's less numerous group taking charge by night, apart from the rare presence of strays, the town was considered to perhaps the most peaceful of any Devil run territory in the human world. Or at least as far as Japan went.

Naturally, their burdens were eased by the recruitment of new Devils into their ranks, of which Sona had close to a full set while Rias had only 3 active pieces, thus leading to their current discussion on the potential candidate for the newest servant to join the Gremory clan.

Knowing that the time was drawing near in which she would be unable to prove her effectiveness as a clan leader without the need of a spouse, Rias clung to the belief that if she could convert powerful humans into her servants, then her family might call off her encroaching marriage. And thus she had set her sights on the brunette pervert, for she could sense the slumbering power within him.

Sona on the other hand, while knowing of her friend's increasing desperation, failed to see how Rias could escape her fate by including a known pervert into her ranks and was doing her best to ensure that the redhead would not make a mistake she would come to regret.

But before the Sitri heiress could pose another point against having conversing the brunette pervert, the amused laughter of Rias's most trusted servant, and to their astonishment, the soft giggling of Sona's equally valuable retainer drew the attention of the pure-blooded Devils towards the black haired duo.

"Something funny Akeno? Usually, you reserve that laugh for when you indulge in your more...unique hobby. And since I highly doubt that theirs a heavily wounded stray out there, makes me curious as to what's caught your interest".

Unlike her more well-endowed friend, who was flashing her equally busty queen a look of amusement, Sona was regarding her own chesty servant with a look that never failed to turn even the most rambunctious of students into a meekly apologetic mess.

"Tsubaki, I trust that there is a reason for this interruption"?

Gracing her king with a serene smile that had managed to win her the position of the academy's 2nd most popular student, while her fellow queen dutifully nodded at her master's words, Akeno gestured to the developing spectacle that was currently being played out below them.

"It appears that my potential teammate and his comrades have once again incurred the wrath of the Kendo Club, and are now suffering the consequences for their misdeeds".

Though it was a reasonable excuse, for she too found it amusing whenever she witnessed the perverted trio getting their just desserts, Rias nonetheless was a bit puzzled as to why the ponytailed half-breed would voice her amusement on something that she surely had witnessed many times before.

Luckily for her, the bespectacled student vice president decided to expand on her fellow queen's answer.

"Before this happened, the trio's...activities were interrupted by a well-dressed looking boy. And shortly after they dismissed him, the members of the Kendo Club came rushing out to punish the trio for what must have surely been a perverted infraction. Though due to the timing of the boy's departure, and the violent arrival of the club members, I would suspect that the newcomer had a hand in the violent event you see before you".

Chuckling at the thought of her future servant being punished for his stupidly honest mannerisms, something which she would curtail to a degree once he accepted the offer of reincarnation, Rias nevertheless expressed interest in the presence of a developing vigilante. For although most male students viewed the infamous trio as annoyances, few of them ever took action to punish them for their perverted activities, and the ones who did mostly did so because they were either protecting the virtue of their girlfriends or sisters, or were using the gratitude they received from a thankful female populace to subtly indulge in their own perversions.

But that didn't seem to be the case this time, and judging by the thought, the expression that was currently adorning her fellow heiress's face, Rias could tell that she had some idea as to the identity of this newcomer.

"Sona, any idea who this mysterious hero might be? Cause from Tsubaki said, he wasn't wearing a school uniform, and he seemed to know the direction in which he could find the Kendo club".

Putting a finger to her chin in thought, it didn't take the Sitri heiress long to come up with the name of their potential vigilante.

"As a matter of fact, I may have an idea of who it could be. The other day a transfer application for one Dante Inumbro was passed to the principal for consideration. And from what I recall, he was scheduled to have a final meeting today so he can complete the process of becoming a student here".

Frowning thoughtfully at this information, and slightly confused as to why the name sounded faintly familiar, the crimson-haired Devil couldn't help but silently ask for her fellow heiress to continue listing what she knew about the clearly foreign boy.

"From what I could ascertain from a brief scanning of his file, he's a transfer student from southern Austria whose family is apparently in Japan to conduct some business arrangements. And apart from his transcript, which I must admit is fairly impressive, there isn't much else I can tell you. Though since he has a scheduled meeting with the principal later today, if you truly feel the need, then I suppose we can find out if there's anything. Peculiar he might be hiding".

Given that he was coming from a country that enjoyed close ties to the Vatican, and the fact that his first action in Devil controlled territory was to subtly punish the actions of a potential sacred gear user, Rias nodded her head in agreement with her friend.

"Good idea Sona. Even if it turns out that he has no connection to the church, we might discover as to why he chose to antagonize my future servant without any previous interactions. Cause despite what you've said, I fully believe that Issei might very well turn out to be a valuable addition to my peerage".

Giving the more slender Devil a slightly smug grin, something that managed to elicit a frown from the decisively more mature Sitri sister, Rias motioned her queen to follow her as she moved to discover just whether or not Dante Inumbro would prove to be a hindrance or an unexpected source of aid for her upcoming struggles.

...

A **NNNNNDDD That's the second rewrite of Chapter 1.**  
 **Always glad/annoyed to see that improvements can be made to an existing story. Though I'm sure that a new chapter would be more appreciated lol.**  
 **As of now...and to the potential disappointment of some people of those who keep telling me not to do this...here are the Harem parings that I have set up.**  
 **Current Pairings are this:**  
 **Issei: Asia, Koneko, Ravel, Xenovia, Irina, (certain members of Sonas/Rizer's peerage). Rossweisse. CFOS (i.e. characters from other series)**  
 **OC: Rias, Akeno, Kuroka, Serafall, Ophis, Raynare (if I keep her alive) CFOS (i.e. characters from other series)**  
 **Also...after watching Black Butler...thinking of having Dante deal with the crazed affections of another flamboyant, violence loving maniac. Since there's only ONE character like this in High School DXD ...look forward to Father Freed acting like Grell does when he sees his beloved Bassie.**  
 **Anyway, as always REVIEWS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME. NO FLAMES.**  
 **ALL chapters are undergoing rewrites...so...thank you for your patience.**


	3. Chp 2 Devils Welcome

_"Thinking"_

"Speech"

 _Following Day_ )

"Now class before I start today's lesson, I want you to all join in and welcome the newest addition to our ranks. While his Japanese is impeccable, he will still need to be introduced to the various policies and locations of the academy. So I want you all to do your best in making him feel welcome. Understood"?

Seeing that his students were all nodding their heads, though the slight glaring expressions of his more..inappropriate pupils indicated that they would likely pose problems in the future, the bespectacled chemistry teacher waved his hand at the door to motion the uniform wearing foreigner inside.

As expected, the classes' reaction at seeing just who would be joining their ranks were divided between those who actively supported the addition of a new student, those who where indifferent, and those who were outright against it. But to give the boy credit, he merely accepted the mix of excited whisperings, and indifferent mutterings with a polite smile. Though his blue eye's gained a slightly hardened look as he heard the anger filled exclamations of the trio.

"Oh my god he's such a hottie"

"I'll say. Foreign guys are always good looking"

"Hey isn't that the guy who ratted out the perverts "?

"Probably. Doesnt look like the vindictive type though. So it's possible your wrong".

"Grrr. That stupid bastard. Its thanks to him that we got beaten up yesterday".

"Just what we need. Another hypocritical pretty boy ruining our chances to score".

Fighting the urge to teach the trio a lessen in respecting one's betters, though he sensed that such an act would probably be welcomed by his new peers, Dante ensured that his smile was firmly in place as he followed his new teacher's unspoken request to introduce himself.

"Hello my name is Dante Inumbro. I am a transfer student from Austria, and it is my sincerest hope that I get to know all of you during my stay in this country".

Doing his best not to smirk as his newest student's polite introduction had the dual effect of increasing his acceptance of the majority of the classroom while simultaneously infuriating the trio, and allowing a genuine look of apology cross his face as he noticed the location of the only available seat, the chemistry teacher moved to do something that he hoped would not come back to haunt.

"Nicely done Mr. Inumbro. Now I'm afraid that the only available seat is at the back next to Mr. Hyoudou. I hope that will not be a problem for you"?

Struggling to contain the annoyance he felt at the teacher's seating arrangements, though somewhat mollified by the fact that this decision was met with protest from the majority of the classroom's female students, Dante silently made his way to the desk that was surrounded by the visibly fearful trio.

"You perverts better not corrupt Dante with your disgusting habits".

"Yeah. Keep your filthy mitts off of him if you know whats good for you".

"I swear if you turn a hunk like that into a lecherous monster, I'll give you a beating that not even the Kendo Club could hope to match".

Tuning out the increasingly violent threats that were being levelled at the resident perverts, and ignoring the sympathetic glances he was getting from the rest of the classroom, Dante ensured that their was a slightly embarrassed expression on his face as he privately blamed his current predicament on the outcome of yesterday's unexpected meeting with the ruling bats.

" _You know, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to antagonise the unofficial rulers of the academy. Such a pity their both siblings of a Devil King, otherwise I wouldn't hesitate to show just how displeased I am with this current arrangement._ _Oh well. I'll only be in this town for a little while longer, so I might as well bear it"._

Resigning himself to his temporary fate, and blocking out the teacher's opening lecture on the periodic table, the newest student of Kuoh academy thought back to his unexpected meeting with the true rulers of Kuoh Academy.

(Previous day)

"Well Mr. Inumbro, your transfer forms appear to be in order. So let me be the first person to welcome you to Kuoh Academy.

Though he didn't know why he bothered maintaining his polite persona for someone who was clearly a Devil's puppet, Dante nevertheless flashed an appreciative smile at the middle aged woman.

"Thank you Principal Buraindo. And though my grasp of the Japanese language is still imperfect, I will do my best to ensure that I don't tarnish the well deserved reputation of your school".

Sending a small smile towards the now slightly nervous foreigner, Rirī Buraindo moved to reassure her newest student that he had nothing to be anxious about.

"On the contrary, even though your tone is somewhat more formal than one would expect from a boy of your age, I would say that you already have a perfect grasp of our language. So you needn't worry on that front. Though I am curious. From what I can tell, your past grades all indicate that you have never been enrolled in an educational intuition before. And while your grades are remarkably high, I'm curious as to why you wouldn't want to continue on as you have".

Though he wished he could do otherwise, Dante plastered a slightly mournful look across his face as he provided a heavily edited version of his life growing up.

"Well you see, my grandfather, while a great man, didn't really hold a lot of faith in the quality of education one would find in the public sector. Even private school's were considered to be insufficient by his rather...demanding standards. But after his passing, my parents decided I should at least experience the chance to connect with other people my age. So...here I am".

While he ensured his expression was one of embarrassed humor, inwardly he was scowling at the fact that he had to speak about his less than kind hearted grandfather.

 _"Tssk. The only worthwhile thing that old bastard ever did for me was to help me develop my skills. And even then, his method's almost had me wishing that I had perished with the rest of my family. Oh well. At least he managed to pass on all that he knew before he passed"._

Unaware of the boy's internal monologue, the principal moved to offer her condolsences to the still silent Dante when the voice of her secraty came through her intercom.

"Pardon the interruption Principal Buraindo, but Miss Shirtori and Miss Gremory are here to see you".

Somewhat surprised by the intrusion, but oddly unwilling to do anything that might offend the school's most well connected students, the middle aged woman flashed the silently brooding boy a regretful smile.

"My apologies Mr. Inumbro, but it appears that we have to cut this meeting short. I trust that you'll be fully prepared tomorrow to start your new classes"?

Gracing the apologetic woman with a nod, Dante had to struggle to maintain a courteous expression as the academy's, and coiencidentally the town's, true rulers entered the room. For although he had nothing against Devil kind, his teachings and his personal experiences had made him wary about being in the same room as a species whose survival depended on the conning of others. But since he knew it would be unwise to reveal the two Devil's to his alertness, the Austrian born shadow wielder maintained his smile as the public face of the school's administration began to act like a well trained sycophant.

"Miss Shitori, Miss Gremory. Wonderful to see you both. My apologies if I've kept you waiting longer than usual. I was just finishing up Mr. Inumbro's transfer application".

Brushing aside the woman's apology with a wave of her hand, the crimson haired beauty regarded the current occupants with a smile, though her eyes seemed to narrow ever so slightly as she took in Dante's appearance.

"Theirs no need for you to apologize Madame Principal. Sona and I just had some documents that required your approval. We hadn't realized you were in a meeting, so we can come back at a more convenient time if you prefer"?

Though it sounded like a suggestion, Dante knew that in all likelihood, the bespectacled wearing woman would quickly move to appease her Demonic overseers. And true to his prediction, that is what happened.

"Oh theirs no need for that Ms. Gremory. Mr. Inumbro, once again I want to wish you well during your time at Kuoh Academy. And my office is always open to you should you experience some difficulty with your studies".

Offering a polite nod of farwell, Dante almost made it out the door until the stern voice of the violet eyed Devil stopped him in his tracks.

"Just a minute Mr. Inumbro, or do you prefer herr? As the academy's student body president, it is my responsibility to ensure that any new student is fully aware of the strict guidelines that are crucial if a student wishes to excel here at Kuoh".

Plastering a look of confusion over his face in order to hide the slight feeling of annoyance he felt at the meddling Sitri heiress, Dante barely managed to control his more violent impulses as the more buxom Devil decided to support the direction this conversation was taking.

"I quite agree. While I may not be as rigid with following the rules as Sona here, as a influential member of this school, it is my duty to ensure that all students adhere to codes of conduct that make Kuoh one of the highest rated schools in the country".

Raising an eyebrow at this rather dubious piece of information, the black haired boy had to keep himself from sighing in annoyance as the now smiling principal gave her support for this show of school camaraderie.

"An excellent show of student cooperation Ms. Gremroy. Why don't you and Miss Sitri take this time to properly ensure that Mr. Inumbro is informed of all the regulations and rules regarding his time here at the academy. I'm sure that between the pair of you, you can ensure that he doesn't turn out like some of our more...unruly students".

Watching with carefully guarded irritation as the school's puppet figure head left him at the uncertain intentions of the 2 pureblooded Devils, Dante settled back into his chair. Noticing that as he did so, the Gremory heiress, who up unto that point had been standing by the door, had silently moved behind him, and was now holding a small, swirling mass of crimson red energy.

"Apologies for resorting to this method, but Sona and I have some questions we want to ask you. And it would be most beneficial for us if you were in no condition to lie to us".

Eye's widening in genuine shock at the buxom Devil's declaration, and seeing no other alternative to escape his predicament without having his cover exposed, Dante focused on secretly channeling the necessary energy that would hopefully render his mind invulnerable to any kinds of mental suggestion.

And just in time.

For as soon as he began the process of clouding his mind, the Gremory heiress flung that glowing sphere directly at his chest. And while he could feel a calm soothing aura pass through his body, which as he knew was one of the more humane techniques of hypnotism, Dante was relieved to discover that he could exert control over his body. If only barely.

Seeing the boy descend into the common blank faced expression that was a normal trait for any human placed under magical hypnosis, Rias flashed a satisfied look towards her fellow Devil.

"Their. I used enough energy to ensure he'll be under for around 10 minutes. Should give us plenty of time to discover the answers we need to see if he poses a threat or not. Since its still daytime, ensuring that Kuoh remains under stable is your responsibility. So I'll leave you to start our interrogation".

Shaking her head at way in which her childhood friend used their governing arrangement to get out of work, Sona took a moment to inspect the seemingly hypnotized human. And from what she saw, she was starting to believe that it was a waste of time to come here. For in her studies, she had learned that it was quite uncommon for even a member of the church to resist compulsion spells of the lowest nature. And Rias had hit him with a mid level spell that would reduce even the most well disciplined exorcist into a gossiping school boy. But even if they could resist the effects, it was always possible to see visible signs of mental struggle, and from what she could ascertain from the blank expression on Dante's face, his will had been fully subverted.

The only thing that prevented her from completely dismissing the possibility that he was a threat was his name. Latinized names were usually a good indicator of whether someone was affiliated with the church. And considering that his birth country was in close proximity to the traditional foes of the Devils, and the fact that he had interacted with a suspected sacred gear holder, Sona concealed her own misgivings and proceeded with her questions.

"What is your name? And where do you come from"?

Taking a moment to grudgingly thank his grandfather for telling him about this technique, though he had been the one to put into practice since Amaro had concentrated his education primarily on combat techniques with a healthy dose of more academic/mystic pursuits, Dante was able to speak with a slightly monotone voice as he answered the bespectacled Devil's questions.

"Dante Inumbro. And I come from a small village outside the town of Villach Austria.".

Though the answer had been delivered with the sort of tone one would expect from a hypnotized victim, Rias was almost certain that she caught a brief flickering of emotion as the boy was forced to name his home. However, it was too quick for her to identify what it was, so she decided to see if she could elicit a similar response to some other questions.

"And why have you come to Kuoh? And who are you working for"?

This time, the Devils were able to detect an identifiable emotion that they had not expected from the falsely mesmerized boy. For like the previous questions, he was speaking nothing but the truth, only this time the answer brought a pang of sadness to the shadow controlling boy, who allowed a slightly melancholy look to grace his features as he was forced to divulge something that he had nearly forgotten.

"My elder sister always talked about how one day, she would leave the village and go out into the world to experience the wonders we had always read about in books. Both me and my brother would listen eagerly as she listed the various exotic countries she would visit, and had promised to one day take us as well. Sadly, she never got the chance to do so. And since my brother is in no condition to travel abroad, I asked my parents if I could join them on their extended business trip in order to live the dream my siblings could not. And I work for nobody".

Dante's answer, which only the parent about his parents being a false hood, had managed to bring a small smile of comprehension to the buxom Devil's face. Due to her brother's position as Devil King, their had been many instances over the course of her childhood where scheduled holidays and trips had been canceled due to some diplomatic incident or formal event. In fact it was because of this that she had asked her parents' and brother's permission to conduct her formal education in Japan rather than at home. For Sirzechs had always spoken well of his visits to this country, so she felt that by choosing it as the base of her operations in the human world, she would be able to feel closer to her brother.

While she wasn't as expressive with her feelings, Sona was nonetheless reminded of her own powerful sibling, who bemoaned the fact that her important responsibilities prevented her from having the close sibling relationship they had had when she was younger. And though she was frequently embarrased by Serafall's exublent nature, she nonetheless treasured the moments she got to spend with her childish elder sister, not that she would ever admit it to anyone. Least of all the immature Devil King who was a more affectionate than was proper for a older sibling.

However, she would not let her personal feelings prevent her from carrying out her charged duty. For it would be a poor reflection on herself, her family, and her elder sister if she allowed emotion to influence her ability to govern. Nodding in approval as she noticed that Rias had come to the same conclusion, Sona decided to ask the question that would once and for all determine whether or not Dante was a threat to their peaceful lives at Kuoh.

'Do you have any knowledge pertaining to the existence of supernatural and biblical forces?

At this question, Dante had to expend nearly every drop of his will power to keep his internal struggle against the insistent prompting of the hypnotic spell a secret. For unlike the earlier questions, he knew that he could not answer this one truthfully unless he wanted to cast even more suspicion on him. However, he was able to keep his tone level, and his expression blank as he answered the question. Even if it took an effort that would have made even the most devout monk jealous.

"I like to believe that their are forces out their that science cannot yet explain. But until they do, I only have a basic understanding of mythology, though I am somewhat more knowledgeable when it comes to the structure of the Christian Church".

"I believe you can end your spell Rias. The boy clearly knows nothing. And truth be told, I think you were wrong to even suspect anything".

Sending a disproving glare to her fellow heiress, Rias turned her attention to the still sitting boy, and allowed a small frown to appear on her otherwise attractive features.

"Perhaps your right. But still, I don't like the fact that he was interfering with the honest nature of my future servant. So rather than cancel his hypnosis right away, why don't we have a little bit of fun with Mr. Inumbro. After all, when was the last time you actually managed to question a boy without them melting into a nervous pile of goo".

Scowling at the teasing tone of her friend, and missing the brief look of amusement that passed over the subject of their discussion, the Sitri heiress delivered her own slightly mocking bard to the smirking red head.

"Probably the same time a male was able to keep his attention focused on your face rather than your more...noticeable assets. However, since you were the one to hypnotize him, you may do as you wish".

Taking a moment to frown at the truthfulness behind Sona's statement, Rias turned towards the invisibly irritated human with a teasing smirk.

"Now lets see. What kind of question can I ask you? Oh I know. What is your sexual preference. Men or Women"?

Raising an eyebrow in slight amusement at her friend's antics, for she would have expected this kind of behavior from Akeno or even her own servants instead of Rias, the black haired Devil merely listened with detached curiosity as Dante gave his answer.

"I prefer Women".

Sending a slightly mocking smile towards her more developed peer, Sona couldn't help but offer her own dry commentary.

"Such a shame Rias. Looks like your attempt to help get your knight out of the closet has once again met with failure. Though I do admire your persistence".

Glaring at the slimmer Devil, Rias was about to deliver her own stinging retort when she thought of a more satisfying form of revenge. Flashing the seemingly hypnotized boy a smile that would have caused the perverted trio massive blood loss, Rias sweetly asked a question that she had designed to infuriate the more serious Devil.

"Now Dante. Why don't you tells us which one of us you find more attractive. Me or Sona"?

As she expected, her question had caused Sona's composure to crack. And if Dante was being completely honest with himself, he actually relished the chance to get some payback for having to endure this potentially lethal interrogation session. So it was with a slightly amused tone of voice that he answered the question.

"Personally I prefer Rias. While I find the librarian look cute in a sort of nerdish way, your lack of any substantial curves, plus your stern demeanor, makes Rias the better choice".

Offering a superior smirk to the now infuriated Sitri, Rias patted the boy's head in a manner one would do to reward an obedient dog.

 **"** My thoughts exactly Dante. Nice to see that your more that just a pretty face. Now what else can I ask you? Oh I know. What would Sona have to do in order for her to be attractive in your eyes"?

" _Probably ask if she can put in a good word with her sister to skewer some feathered rats. Last I heard, Levithan still had massive issues with God's first daughter, so it wouldn't be too difficult to plant that idea in the childish Devil King's head"._

Instead of voicing that highly dangerous opinion, and hoping that this little session would end before they did something he would come to regret, Dante came up with an answer that he hoped would cause the Sitri heiress to call an end to his interrogation.

"If she was to smile a little bit more, or wear something that could flatter both her slim figure and no nonsense approach, I think she could be the most attractive girl at this school".

Hoping that he hadn't overplayed his hand, the black haired Austrian was relieved, and little bit shocked, to see that his flattery had caused the Sitri heiress to loose her stern demeanor, and was now sporting a slightly flushed expression.

"I think we've uncovered all that were going to uncover Rias. Cancel the spell and send him on his way".

Adopting a slight pouting expression at having her fun ruined, the crimson haired Devil nevertheless agreed to her fellow heiresses request.

"As you wish. Though I kinda wanted to know what sort of tips he would suggest to make attractive in his eyes. Oh well, at least we now know he's not a threat. But I think, it would be prudent to keep an eye on him anyway. Just on the off chance that he ends up being an unknowing pawn for someone else's scheme".

Fighting the urge to scowl at the assumption that he was anyone one's pawn, Dante was relieved when Rias flicked another ball of crimson colored energy at his chest, indicating that the spell was now broken.

Knowing that he had to play the part of a recently entranced human, Dante gave the impression that he had just woken up from a deep slumber, and was now giving the pair of female Devils an apologetic questioning expression.

"My apologies. I must have dozed off their for a second. Was their anything else you two ladies needed? Or am I free to go"?

Doing her best to contain her disappointment at not discovering anything unusual about the Austrian born boy, but knowing that she would have ample opportunity to satisfy her curiosity over the course of his enrollment, Rias dismissed the boy with a casual wave of her hand.

"No its all right Mr. Inumbro. You can go. Hopefully you will enjoy your enrollment here. And if you find yourself struggling, Sona and I will be more than happy to help you".

Nodding politetly at her words, Dante quickly left the two annoying Devils alone. Desperaty hoping that not only had he successfully allayed the majority of their suspicions, but also that they wouldn't find a way to get back at him for his judgmental comments.

(Flashback ends)

Coming back to the present, reluctantly admiring the cleverness of the Devils revenge by placing him in the same class as those 3 idiots, Dante was made aware that he was not the only one to be extremely unhappy with his current seating arrangments.

"Dude this is unfair. Not only did that bastard ruin our viewing privileges yesterday, but now he's gonna steal all the hoties in the class before we have a chance to make our move".

Seeing an opportunity to improve his otherwise irritating situation, and knowing that he could count on the rest of the classroom to come to his defense should his comment infuriate the perverts to the point of violence, Dante muttered a perfectly audible comment that was only heard by the trio.

"Perhaps if you idiots were to treat a woman with respect, rather than just an object to satisfy your lust, then perhaps you could have avoided your well deserved fate".

Glaring at the innocently smiling foreigner, and conscious of the fact that the rest of the classroom was watcthing the trio with mild looks of hostility, the bald headed pervert lowered his voice so only his fellow perverts and the new guy could hear his reply.

"What the hell would a pretty boy like you know traitor? I'm not sure how it works in your country, but here in Japan, it's bro's before hoes. And you violated that sacred pact".

Raising an amused eyebrow at Matusda's rather ridiculous accustation, and seeing that the rest of perverts were nodding in agreement with their bald headed colleague, Dante decided to direct his next comment to the other members of the trio.

"Is that so? From what I could tell, all 3 of you were fighting like animals just so you could peep into the showers of the Kendo Club. So forgive me if I don't believe your a firm follower of that ridiculous policy".

Angrily gritting his teeth at Dante's mocking, yet accurate observation, and seeing that Matusda was on the verge of losing his temper and thus causing them to experience another beating, the bespectacled pervert voiced his own support for the trio's activities.

"Its like nature. A wolf is only able to find food when it works together with the members of its pack. But once the prey had been sighted and taken down, then all sense of cooperation flies out the window as they struggle for the choicest bits of meet from their kill".

Tilting his head to the side in mock confusion, and noticing that a significant portion of the class was trying to discover just what it was he was saying to the trio, Dante ensured that his voice was loud enough to be heard as he asked the trio a potentially lethal question.

"So what your saying is, you 3 see yourselves as predators, with the female population acting as pieces of meat for you to run down and devour? A little disrespectful is it not"?

Adopting looks of pride, and oblivious to the growing aura of menace that was rising from their female classmates, the trio nodded their heads.

"Exactly. Though I wouldn't expect a pretty boy bastard like you to understand".

Noticing the murderous glances that were being sent in the perverts direction, and having grown tired of this discussion, Dante decided to end their conversation in a manner that would allow him to vent some of the annoyance that he had built up during his stay here.

"I'm sure I don't. However, I want to make 2 things clear to you 3 Dummkopfs. Firstly, call me a bastard again and I will make you regret the day you idiots were ever spawned. And secondly, you really need to learn how to speak more quietly. Cause judging from the looks that are being sent your way, I would imagine that yesterday's beating is going to seem like childs play compared to what your about to receive".

Resisting the urge to cackle as the trio fearfully noticed that they had once again drawn the ire of the female population, and allowing a satisfied smirk to grace his features as they were subjected to a rather amusing amount of colorful death threats, Dante allowed his thoughts to wander. Unaware that within the week, his patience would be rewarded in manner that he couldn't have foreseen.

 **AND Finished.**

 **Pleased with how it turned out so far. Not alot of action yet, but we get a more indeph look at the OC's personality, and some more glimpses into his backstory.**

 **Next Chapter will start where the series begins, i.e. Issei bragging to his friends that he now has a woman in his life. And will continue from their.**

 **As of now, the current pairings are as follows.**

 **Issei: Asia, Koneko, Ravel, Xenovia, Irina, Rossweisse, Gabriel**

 **OC: Akeno, Kuroka, Serafall, Raynare (if I keep her alive), Ophis, and possibly Sona.**

 **Rias is still up in the air, but leaning towards her going with Dante. If only because its more amusing to have Rias end up with someone who doesn't bend to her every command.**

 **Might add in characters from other anime shows later on...Similar apperances/powers, just modified to fit in with the setting of High School DxD. And will also be altering some personalities when it comes to certain characters when they see the OC. I picture Freed acting like Grell Suticliffe when faced with Dante.**

 **Hope your enjoying the story. Will try to update/rewrite the next chapter as soon as possible (of course not all chapters require the same amount of editing) so thank you for your patience.**

 **AND PLEASE REVIEW. Always nice to have the approval of strangers XD**


	4. Chp 3 Shadowed Conversations

_Following Week)_

"Hey Inumbro. I want to make something clear to you".

Despite the amusement he got from witnessing the pervert's clear lack of survival skills, not to mention the fact that they were ridiculously easy to goad into saying something that would result in further humiliation, Dante found himself sending the least aggressive member of the trio an irritated glare.

"What is it now Hyoudou? I would have thought that the lesson not to bother me would have sunk in by now. But I suppose given the fact that your victims prefer to aim for your head, I shouldn't be too surprised to see that your memory is less than stellar".

Gritting his teeth at the mocking tone of his black haired classmate, and fighting his first impulse to slug the foreigner in the face since he was responsible for all the injuries he and his friends had suffered during the course of the week, Issei gave himself a moment to calm down before he delivered his ultimatum.

"I've come to warn you that if you even think of ruining my date, I don't care what kind of punishment I'll get from your brainwashed fan girls, l will personally make you regret the day you were born".

Amused by the brunette's rather pitiful attempt to intimidate him, Dante merely adopted a fake expression of sympathy as he swiftly moved to crush the pervert's delusions.

"I had no idea that your injuries were so serious that you started to believe that your wanking hand was an actual person. But not to worry. I have no intention of ruining your, hopefully, private date with your long term girl friend".

Smirking at the mixed look of embarrassment and outrage that had come over the pervert's face, the black haired Austrian was surprised that instead of dissolving into a barely intelligible pillar of fury, Issei managed to retain control of his temper and calmy refute his mocking remark.

"Ha ha. Very funny Inumbro. But the thing is, I actually have a date with a living, breathing female. She's kind, beautiful, and the best part is, I didn't even need to ask her out on a date. She asked me".

Despite the serious expression on the brunette's face as he boasted about his newest achievement, Dante couldn't resist the chance to once again alleviate his boredom by mocking the pervert's allusions of grandeur.

"Well Hyoudou, I'm impressed. You finally accepted that you will never convince a girl at this school to go out with you, so you have turned to the option of paying a professional for their services. Though I must admit, I would have thought that Japan's red light districts would have refused entry to a minor. Still, I suppose that such things can be overlooked if you have enough cash and a fake id".

Sputtering in indignation at Dante's continued mockery, though truth be told he had once or twice considering paying for female services on the day that he could be legally considered an adult, Issei was about to offer what was, in his mind, a scathing retort when his friends decided to interfere in his conversation.

"Issei dude. Why didn't you tell us you hired an escort to introduce you to the pleasures of a woman"?

"Yeah man. If we had known you were considering this, we could have pooled our money together and gotten a really classy lady".

Trying his best not to cry in frustration at his friends misunderstanding, and desperately hoping that the rest of the classroom was not listening in to this latest example of humiliation, a futile gesture as it turned out judging by all the looks of disgust that were being sent their way, Issei tried to clear up the misunderstanding created by the smirking Austrian.

"Guys that not what's going on. I was just warning Inumbro here that he better not try to do anything that might interfere with my date tomorrow".

Naturally, instead of voicing their support for their like minded comrade, who unlike the pair of them had actually managed to get a girl to talk to them rather than throw sharp and heavy objects at them, Matusda and Motohama angrily accused their like minded comrade of holding out on them.

"WHAT THE HELL MAN? WHAT THE HELL? I thought we were supposed to be in this together. But now we find that you've been secretly hitting it up with the ladies behind our backs. You fucking bastard".

Nodding his head in agreement with the hairless perverted, the glasses wearing member of the trio voiced his own opinion on Issei's "betrayal".

"Matsuda is right Issei. We swore that as soon as one of us scored a date from a hot woman, we would do what ever it takes to ensure that we could enjoy our comrades success before being set up with a woman of our own. So tell me. Do you have naughty pictures of this girl yet? What are her 3 sizes? Is their any chance she believes in polygamy"?

Watching with mild amusement as the 3 perverts argued over the rather disgusting procedures of their dating methods, and noticing that most of the classroom seemed to be on the verge of once again revealing their displeasure at having such lecherous students amongst their ranks, Dante decided to voice his own opinion regarding the nature of their so called agreement.

"Did it ever occur to you dummkopfs that the reason why your so unsuccessful with the ladies is because you continue to act like depraved lunatics whenever you managed to get a quick look of skin? Perhaps if you were capable of devoting that energy towards improving your limited intelligence instead of wasting it on discovering new ways of how to spy on a undressing woman, you wouldn't be forced to resort to such loathsome tactis of sharing in your friend's happiness".

Flashing the two more violent members of the trio a look that clearly revealed just how little he thought of them, Dante turned his attention back towards the brunette. Who appeared to be facing an internal struggle on whether he should reject or agree with the new students observation.

"And as for you Hyoudou, I have no intention of getting between you and the poor fraulein you've managed to con into going on a date with you. However, if you want a second date to happen, then I suggest you keep your hands to yourself, and your eyes firmly fixed on her facial features rather than her chest. Most women tend to get upset if you simply treat them as an object you know".

Shocked by the fact that Dante was offering him advice, even if his tone still conveyed the usual level of mockery he had come to expect from the new student, Issei was prevented from making any kind of comment by the unexpected, but extremely welcome voice of the one person at the academy that was unaware of his..hobbies.

"Issei, what are you still doing here? I thought you were going to wait outside my class so we can have a private lunch together. Don't tell me that something came up? I would be very sad if that was the case".

Quickly turning his head so that he could stare into the violet eyes of his, hopefully, future girlfriend, Issei allowed a sheepish expression to come over his face as he apologized to the raven haired beauty.

"I'm sorry Yuma. Me and my friends lost were just having a little debate over something. But since we go caught up in all the details, we lost track of the time. Hopefully your not mad at me".

And truthfully, despite his attempts to appear casual, yet apologetic, Issei was fervently praying that he hadn't doomed his chances before they even started. With a curvaceous body that could rival that of the Great Ladies, a innocent smile that always seemed to brighten when she saw him, and the fact that she appeared to be totally unaware of his well known lechery, the brunette pervert was desperate to ensure that he gave no reason for Yuma to dump him.

But thankfully, judging by the teasing smile that quickly spread across her face, Issei was relieved to discover that he was still in the clear.

"Oh I could never be mad at you Issei. Though you should know that its rather rude to keep a lady waiting. Now, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends? Or am I going to have to ask them to accompany us so I can get to know them a little better"?

Seeing as he had no intention of letting his friends interfere with his developing relationship, Issei quickly made the proper introductions before his more aggressive friends decided to seize the iniative and speak up for themselves.

"No need to do that. Guy's this is Yuma Amano, the girl I was telling you about. Yuma these are my friends Matusda and Motohama. Anyways, we should probably go before the lunch hour ends. It was nice talking to you guys. See you after lunch".

Thankful that his friends were unused to having such a gorgeous woman treat them with respect, though truth be told he was still trying to come to terms with it himself, Issei had to keep himself from weeping as he was instantly reminded that their was a far more dangerous rival sitting right next to him.

"I'm shocked Issei. Even though it's only been a week since we've known each other, would have thought that I would be considered your friend. Espcially after all the..amusing things that I have done for you".

Doing his best not to scowl as the black haired foreigner reverted back into the charming persona that had allowed him to effortlessly gain the admiration of the female populace, Issei had to keep himself from crying as Yuma asked him a question that he was loath to answer.

"And who is this Issei? It's rather rude to forget one of your friends when your the one making introductions for them".

Desperately trying to think of a plausible excuse to explain why he hadn't introduced a gorgeous woman like her to one of the current banes of his existence, Issei was shocked when the foreign born boy surprisingly decided to come to his defense.

"Oh you shouldn't be so hard on him Miss Amano. Afterall, most men tend to forget their obligations to their friends when a beautiful woman makes an appearance. But I am forgetting myself. Dante Inumbro, at your service".

Eye's narrowing at the slightly flirtatious tone the blue eyed pretty boy was using to speak with Yuma, Issei had to keep himself from screaming as the wonderfully busty girl replied to truthful comment with a giggling smile.

"Flattery will get you no where Mr. Dante. Though I would imagine that isn't quite true in your circumstances".

Allowing himself a moment to enjoy the looks of utter anguish that were now appearing on the perverts faces, Dante, to the surprise of all present, decided to make his exit before he was acused of 'putting the moves' on Yuma.

"You would be surprised Ms Amano. Anyways, since I suspect that both you and Issei are famished, I will leave you two to have your lunch in peace. And Issei, try to remember our earlier discussion if you want to reach your goal. Ok"?

Not bothering to wait for a reply, and doing his best not to smirk at the flabbergasted expression on the trio's face, Dante exited the room.

Relieved at the departure of the mocking student, Issei fought the urge to give a sigh of relief as he returned his attention back to his strangely silent date.

"Sorry bout that Yuma. Dante is still getting used to the culture, so you'll have to forgive him if his manners aren't exactly perfect. Hopefully didn't do anything to upset you"?

Though it disgusted her immensely, the Fallen Angel quickly flashed her target a reassuring smile. In fact it was only the knowledge that the miserable worm would be dead soon that provided her with the strength to maintain her sickening charade.

"It's alright Issei. Trust me, I've dealt with similar people in the past. But enough about that. I do believe we're wasting our lunch period. And maybe if we have enough time, you can tell me what you have planned for our date tomorrow".

Ignoring the excited chattering of the soon to be deceased pervert, though she was sure to keep up the façade of an interested, naïve school girl, Raynare's thoughts drifted back to that less annoying human she had just met. Certain that like her, he was hiding something. She just wasn't sure what it was.

Pushing that thought aside, since it was irrelevant to her current mission, the Fallen Angel turned her attention back to the task at hand. Hoping that she would be able to continue her appointed task without anyone discovering her secret.

She was soon proved to be wrong.

...

(Later that day)

Since she was unable to use even the most basic of her powers within the boundaries of that Devil Run school, and unwilling to risk the chance of using human forms of communications on the off chanced that those bat winged bastards were listening in, Raynare had been forced to wait until later in the day to report her progress to her waiting comrades.

"Honestly Kal, the humans are taking almost all the fun out of this. All I have to do is stick out my chest, smile like a nun, and act like a clutz, and their literally falling over themselves to do whatever I ask of them. I know few races are immune to our natural charms, but it's pathetic how these monkeys slobber over the barest hint of skin.

Though the reception was somewhat weak given that she was using a low powered communication spell to talk with her blue haired comrade, Raynare could still hear the soft chuckling of the more mature Fallen Angel.

"Well Raynare what do you expect? Most men are easily seduced by a woman's charms. Even our beloved leader is no exception. Though considering he's one of the most powerful beings in existence, not to mention the most handsome, I suppose he can be forgiven for his unrepentant lechery".

Despite the fact that she wished the opposite was true, the younger Fallen Angel conceded that Kalwarner was spot on when describing the unreptant nature of the Grigori Leader. While brilliant in innumerable ways, Azazel's extreme obsession with women was enough to make even a devoted follower like herself question whether or not she would have been better off serving the sanctimonious forces of heaven. However such thoughts always passed quickly, since she clung to the belief that if she amassed enough power, she would be prove to her perverted leader that all he needed was a singular strong woman at his side.

Though she knew that Kalwarner would probably chide her for getting so upset, Raynare was about to admonish her for her lack of respect towards their leader when the sound of shattering glass echoed through the seemingly deserted alley that she had chosen for privacy. Eye's narrowing in suspicion, with the barest traces of fear flashing in her violet colored orbs, Raynare terminated her connection before cautiously examining her surroundings.

Judjing that the sound had come from the dumpster, since it was the only thing present in the deserted alley that could successfully conceal an attacker, the Fallen Angel conjured a purple spear of light into her hand, intending to fatally punish whoever it was that had the nerve to be in the same location as her. However before she turned the container into a twisted pile of scrap, the cause for anxiety decided to make its appearance, and it was accurate to say that she was slightly confused by its identity.

Rather than some drunken human down on his luck, it was a small black cat that was currently staring at her a look that could be only be described as intelligent.

Since she couldn't dismiss the possibility that the inquisitive looking feline was more than it appeared, it was without a shred of regret that she hurled her spear at the silently watching animal.

However, instead of making contact with the umoving creature, the spear merely passed through it like their was nothing their at all.

Momentarily taken back by this rather disturbing outcome, and highly unnerved by the fact that the unconcerned looking feline simply disappeared as it walked into the ominous darkness of the alley, the low ranked Fallen Angel summoned another light spear as she tried to both calm herself down and taunt whoever it was that was watching her to reveal themselves.

"You know I must admit that little display of yours impressed me, if only because you went with something practical instead of something extraordinary. Or is it because you only have enough power to create something small and harmless? Either way I must congratulate you on your skills, if not your common sense. Its never wise to sneak up on a Fallen Angel, let alone one such as myself. However I'm feeling a tad generous, so here's the deal. If you immediately reveal yourself, I will ensure that you receive a quick, and rather painless death. If not, well...I think you get the picture".

Having expected her quarry to remain silent, or at the very least try and escape his well deserved fate, Raynare was totally unprepared for the echoing chuckle that seemed to echo throughout the now darkened alley. And what was even more discerning to her was the terrifying that she may have provoked something that was far beyond her ability to deal with.

"Since I've never been the suicidal type, I'm afraid I'll have to decline your most generous offer. Though I'm not sure if the same could be said for you. From what I understand, the head crow wishes to decrease the amount of tension between the 3 races. And considering a lowly feldling like you is operating in Devil territory, makes me wonder why you would risk the wrath of someone could kill you with a mere snap of his fingers".

Eye's narrowing at mockery she was receiving, though the fallen beauty couldn't prevent a crawling sense of fear going up her spine as she was confronted with the less loyal aspects of her mission, Raynare was about to offer her own taunting remark when her observer decided to make himself known.

But not before he ensured his own safety.

Faster than she could react, 3 sets of chains sprung from the shadows, dragging the understandably shocked Fallen Angel to the alley wall before they wrapped around her throat, arms and legs. And what was even more terrifying was that in a display of twisted humor, or perverted depending how she looked at it, her restraints were displaying her in a position that bored a strong resemblance to one of the most iconic symbols of the Christian religion.

Struggling against her bindings without any noticeable success, the trapped Fallen Angel could only watch in growing terror as her captor finally decided to reveal himself.

Instead of appearing out of thin air, something that was only possible for only the most powerful of human sorceress or mid tiered Devils, or even using a magic transport circle, her now revealed quarry simply walked out of the shadows as if he was simply walking through a door. But while his casual, if unique, entrance might not have been enough to make her ill at ease, his appearance was.

Wearing a long overcoat that expertly blend in with the growing darkness of the alley, with his hands covered by the same type of material that was covering the rest of his body, the smirking visage of her target's more tolerable companion revealed to her that her earlier suspions were correct. Only now it might be too late for her to do something about it.

As if sensing that particular thought, Dante's smirk gained a little bit of a superior edge to it as he regarded his restrained companion.

"Not to worry Yuma? I have no intention of pushing the Crows closer to the edge of extinction with your untimely demise. Provided you keep your keep your tone civil, theirs no reason why you can't leave this little chat with only having your pride a bit damaged. Of course if you want to make this difficult.."

At this Raynare felt the chain around her neck tighten until she was choking for breath.

"Well...you get the picture".

Confident that his point had been made, Dante allowed the chain to loosen its grip, and stared with a mocking smile as the raven haired girl took a moment to catch her breath.

Taking a moment to regain her composure, a task made somewhat difficult considering the fact that she was being forced by a human, albeit a dangerous one, to play the part of a weakened damsel, Raynare graced her equally deceptive school mate with an unwilling nod.

"I do. However I hope you realize that if I fail to return, my comrades and servants will make you pay for...grkkkk".

Staring impassively as the Fallen Angel experienced the consequences of not heeding his advice, Dante adopted a slightly mournful expression as he released the now glaring Fallen Angel.

"What a pity. And you looked so intelligent too. Or perhaps your simply a masochist who gets off on this type of thing".

While her first impulse was to angrily deny this claim, a subtle tightening of her restraints managed to keep her from speaking her mind. Something that managed to earn a mocking grin of approval from the black haired shadow user.

"Oh look at that. You are able to learn from your mistakes. Good. Was beginning to think you hit your head after you were kicked out of the nest. But at anyrate, hopefully you'll prove more willing to answer my questions now".

Seeing the girl nod as his inquiry, though he could tell that it pained her to bow to the command of anyone she had previously deemed to be a lesser being, Dante adopted a tone that could only be described as courteous.

"Now, first I think we'll start with something simple. Like revealing the name you were given at your birth".

Confused, and little bit unnerved by how rapidly her captor could switch between a sadistic and agreeable persona, the restrained Fallen Angel adopted a more cautious tone as she answered his question.

"Raynare"

Pleased to see that her earlier resistance had melted away in the face of his more..persuasive techniques, Dante kept his tone civil as he asked his captive a question that would allow him to gauge what other powers were active in this Devil controlled town.

"And why have you chosen to operate in territory that is clearly run by the Devils? With your power, you have to be either suicidal or stupid to believe that you can take on Kuoh's de-facto rulers. And since I highly doubt the multi winged lecher would entrust a bunch of low leveled crows to carry out a mission that could possibly restart the Factions War, it makes me wonder who else might have given the order".

Failing to prevent a fierce scowl from spreading across her face as she was once again forced to listen to her captor spew insults about the only man who held her affections, not to mention the mocking reminder that she was still a low tiered Fallen Angel, it was only due to the knowledge of what would happen to her that Raynare grudgingly replied to the smirking human.

"Though he didn't give us the order directly, Lord Azazel instructed us to maintain a close watch on any human that may have a sacred gear. If we felt that the Devils were on the verge of recruitment said human into their ranks, we have clearance to taken them out before they become a threat".

Nodding to show that he understood her reasoning, though the Fallen Angel couldn't tell if he disproved of her methods or not, Dante dropped his previously congenial expression as he asked what was probably his most important question.

"And what about your former comrades. Are any of them about, or did they decided to have their sheep do the dirty work so they could maintain the illusion of self righteousness"?

Though it had been several years since she had regarded her former brethren with anything but distaste for their sanctimonious ways, Raynare couldn't help feeling the tiniest bit of concern for her former family as she beheld the rather intimidating expression of her captor. While lacking the crazed expression of either her most talented human servant or her battle loving superior, the coldly murdeous look of rage that was currently on Dante's face nevertheless provided her with another reason for being happy that she had fallen.

Doing her best to keep her composure, a task made somewhat difficult due a slight tightening of her restraints, the fallen beauty managed to deliver her answer. Hoping that her reply would not result in her untimely demise.

"As far as I'm aware, the only active powers in this town are the Devils and my group. And while we do have a fair amount of human underlings with us to help complete our mission, they were cast out and thus no longer serve the cause of Heaven".

For a brief moment, Raynare was sure that the mention of her former home would spell her end. So it was with a great amount of relief that instead of feeling her bonds tighten to the point of break her bones, she was unceremoniously dropped to the alley floor. And as she took a moment to process the fact that she had survived her interrogation session, Raynare was once again exposed to her captor's more congenial persona.

"Well I think I've got all the information I'll need. I appreciate your cooperation Raynare. Couldn't do it without you".

Wisely keeping any smart aleck comments to herself since she had no intention of once again subjecting herself to that deadly humiliation, Raynare merely responded to the creepily cheerful human's praise with a hesitant nod.

Chuckling at the rather downcast expression of the Fallen Angel, and feeling uncharacteristically charitable towards his former captive, Dante decided to keep the agreement he made with the raven haired beauty. For though she hadn't been able to provide him with what he wanted, he saw no reason to make himself an enemy of a race known for its rather inflated sense of superiority.

"Well as amusing as this little chat has been, I do have some other tasks to attend to, and no doubt you have similar responsibilites as well. But before we part ways, I do have something to say that you may want to consider when dealing with your perverted target".

Shocked that she wasn't being skewered where she stood, and seeing no harm in listening to what the black haired boy had to say before she took her leave, Raynare ensured that she had a clear path of escape as she listened to the advise she was given.

"If your going to kill him, make sure that he doesnt have anything on him that can be used to contact the Devils. A dying wish is a powerful thing to use, and considering Hyoudou has already grabbed the attention of Kuoh's ruling bats, its a safe bet that they would take advantage of his newly deceased state and turn him. Thus making you fail your mission".

And with that final piece of advice, Dante disappeared back into the shadows, leaving a very confused Fallen Angel to wonder just how the appearance of this VERY dangerous human would affect her plans to move up in the Grigori.

Still, it could have been a lot worse.

If his personality had matched Freed's, she doubted that she would be alive, let alone in one piece. But as it was, apart from some minor bruising across her neck, the only thing that had been damaged during their little encounter was her pride.

And while she would be sure to make him pay for what he did to her, Raynare couldn't help feeling that perhaps it would be a good thing if their paths didn't cross again. For while his mental health was more stable than the one possessed by the white haired exorcists, it was clear that Dante Inumbro possessed that same type of cruelty that would allow him to do what ever it took to accomplish his goals.

And considering what she had just gone through, she did not want to know how creative he could be if he treated her like an enemy rather than a reluctant informant.

 **ANNNNNNND That's another chapter rewritten.**

 **REIVIEWS/NO** **FLAMES**


	5. Chp 4 Discussions and Dates

As she observed the falling sun from the relative comfort of her clubroom's window, Rias couldn't shake the feeling that soon she would be confronted with an opportunity to expand her peerage. While she was immensely proud of her servants and wouldn't trade them for the world, the Gremory heiress knew that she would need to expand their numbers if she was to successfully prove to her family that she was capable of bringing honor to her name, without the need of a arranged marriage.

While she already had a potential candidate in mind, their was another that piqued her interest and it wasn't in the nature of a Devil to dismiss anything that could provide them with an advantage.

Before she could contemplate on whether or not she should first convert the perverted but kind hearted Issei, or the charming yet mysterious Dante, the pure blooded Devil was dragged out of her musings by the unmistakable sound of paper work being unceremoniously dropped on her desk courtesy of her most trusted subordinate.

"You know it's funny. Despite the fact that your 2 youngest servants are lacking in the social skills department, they each manage to bring more completed contracts than the rest of us combined. You would think that most humans would prefer communicating with someone with a more…developed figure, but instead they seem to harbor a secret loli fetish. I'm not sure whether we should be amused or insulted".

Allowing an amused smirk to spread across her face as she crossed her arms under her generous bosom, the crimson haired Devil walked away from the window until she was sitting across from the equally, if not slightly more develop raven haired Devil.

"As long as our clientele doesn't ask Koneko to do anything too inappropriate or dangerous, then theirs no need for us to interfere. Besides, if our clients are foolish enough to believe that they can do whatever it is they want with the Devil they have summoned, then I'm sure both you and Koneko would have no problem reminding our customer base that their is a price to pay for their..rudeness".

Giggling at the thought of what she and her white haired comrade could accomplish if they joined forces in punishing the more...forward contractors they sometimes got, Akeno allowed her tone to convey a noticeable trace of concern as she noticed that her fellow great lady was acting more pensive then usual.

"So care to tell your devoted queen what's been bothering you for the past couple of days? Because as far as I know, the view out that window hasn't changed much since you took this building as your base of operations. Though considering the recent efficiency of the Kendo Club, it is possible that a couple of grave stones might haven been placed when I wasn't looking.

Though Akeno's observation managed to briefly bring a smile to her face, for she too had noticed the increased competence of the Kendo Club's man hunts, Rias's expression quickly morphed into one of tired resignation as she explained her current dilemma.

"Well if you must know, I got a message from my brother this morning. Updating me on the current status of our family's...arrangement with the Phenex clan".

Allowing her usual cheerful smile to disappear in the face of her friend's revelation, Akeno ventured to guess the nature of the message, vainly hoping that she she was wrong in her assumption.

"I'm guessing that Lord Lucifer stated his desire to help you out, but due to the nature of his position he is prevented from doing so"?

Nodding her head at the raven haired girl, Rias began to go through the stack of contract reviews in a attempt to distract her from her somewhat bleak looking future

"You are correct. Brother says that his position allows him to stall the proceedings, but in the end the final decision rests between my father and lord Phenex. He also warned me that Riser might push for an earlier date than what was agreed. And since he's been recently increasing his rank through the rating games, I thinks its only a matter of time before he's able to do so".

Considering the fact that the 3rd son of Phenex clan was an arrogant narcissist whose only redeeming quality was his loyalty to his family, Akeno knew that Rias's predication would likely come true in the near future. That being said, the pony tailed devil was slightly confused as to why Rias didn't seem to be more upset with her situation.

"You know, considering that you haven't reduced our club house into a smoldering pile of rubble, I take it you have a plan to get out of your current predicament"?

Knowing she could never hide anything from her most trusted servant, nor would she want to, Rias gave her faithful queen a small nod as she proceeded to explain her plan.

"Yes I do. Since my family believes that I am incapable of maintain the status and dignity of our clan without the aid of a husband, I am forced to go with their plans. And while you, Kiba and Koneko are all exceptionally skilled, and I wouldn't trade you for anything, the fact that my peerage only consist of 3 Devils is something that the clans will hold as proof that I am not capable of leading my house independently".

Pleased to hear her crimson haired master reaffirm her devotion to her servants, Akeno guessed the direction Rias was going with this explanation.

"So your plan is to prove your worthiness by bringing in fresh blood hmmm? I suppose it could work. Provided of course you choose to convert human's with potential. And I must say it would be nice add some new faces into our little group, if only because it'll be fun to help them adapt to their new situation. I'm guessing that you already have a candidate or 2 in mind"?

Seeing that Akeno supported her decision, even if some of her reasons where not quite what she had in mind when she considered this course of action, Rias adopted a thoughtful expression as she explained her dilmena to the now smiling queen.

"I have 2 options in mind. But I confess I'm having a little difficulty in choosing which one would fit better in my peerage. Both of them have qualities that I feel would be beneficial our group, but I'm uncertain if they would accept their new situation with open arms".

Putting a finger to her chin in contemplation, Akeno was curious to see which of the academies students had grabbed the attention of the Crimson Princess of Destruction. For if she was uncertain about their final placement in her ranks, they nevertheless possessed something that had managed to grab Rias's attention.

"And who are the lucky humans up for consideration? Hopefully one of them shares the same interests as I do, since neither Kiba or Koneko seem to share the same enthusiasm I do when we're on a mission. Though I suppose having a masochist on our team wouldn't be such a bad thing, if only because I get a chance to be more creative with my training sessions".

Shaking her head in amusement as she listened to the hopeful voice of her sadistic servant, although truthfully she feared for the sanity of the rest of her peerage if she recruited someone with the same penchant for sadism as her ever loyal queen, Rias voiced the name of the first candidate she was considering to make into her servant.

"Well I'm not sure if he has any sadistic tendencies, Issei Hyoudou does seem to posses the typical characteristics of a masochistic since he always gets involved in situations where he knows he'll be violently punished if he's discovered. So if I was to select him to join us, I think you would find that he would be more or less eager to enjoy some...quality time with you".

Pleased though she was at the prospect of having someone who could she could easily dominate, Akeno was nevertheless surprised that Rias would select the unofficial leader of the Perverted Trio as a likely candidate to your their ranks. However, since she knew that her king must have given this serious thought before voicing her decision, the violet eyed Devil gave voice her suspicions on why the Gremory heiress had selected Issei for such an important position.

"Well, one thing that can be said about that boy is that he's extremely determined to achieve his desires, no matter the obstacle in his path. And if you were somehow able to direct that enegery towards more worthwhile pursuits than then I suppose he would make a fantastic servant. However that same determination could easily lead to his downfall".

Pleased to see that her queen was taking her suggestion seriously, and valuing her opinion, Rias motioned her most powerful servant to continue her assessment of their potential comrade.

"Since the boy tends to chase after his desire without any care for the danger ahead, it is very likely that he could be tricked to reveal vital information about our group, or even get his teammates hurt if he becomes distracted by his public desire. That being said, if you decide to turn him into a Devil, it is possible that he could be taught to restrain his base desires, since its possible that the only reason why he hasn't changed is ways is because no one has been able to inflict enough pain on him to stop. Would be more than happy to break him in so he becomes a more productive member of the team".

Having come to the same conclusion herself, Rias was not overly shocked that Akeno would list a solution to help channel Issei's energy towards a more productive goal. However, since she noticed that her queen hadn't expressed any personal issues with the boy's perverse nature, the crimson haired Devil allowed a small smirk to form on her face as she teased her sadistic servant.

"I noticed that besides being potentially detrimental to the boy's health, you don't seem to have anything against his more...honest nature. Already planning on how to tease the poor boy should he join our ranks Akeno"?

Chucking at the question, the black haired beauty gave her friend a conspiratorial smirk.

 **"** Like you weren't planning on doing the same . Besides, if you do choose him to become your servant, I think it will be more amusing to see how Koneko treats him. CAuse while we might find his perversity amusing, I sincerely doubt that your white haired rook will be as understanding. Now whose the second person who has managed to gain your attention"?

Taking a moment to chuckle in agreement with her raven haired queen, for the thought of how her usually blunt servant would react to an unrepentant pervert reminded her of a cartoon, Rias allowed a more pensive expression to come over her face as she voiced the name of the second candidate she had been considering.

"The other person I had in mind was Dante Inumbro. The academies newest student, and favorite black knight".

At the mention of the black haired student, Akeno's smile gained a slightly predatory edge to it, something which amused Rias greatly.

"I take it that you would be in favor of having Dante become a Devil"?

Placing a hand to her cheek with her eyes closed, Akeno sighed as she agreed with her master's smirking inquiry.

"Oh yes. That boy has sadist written all over him, though I don't think he enjoys the suffering of others as much as I do. But still, his actions towards the perverted trio suggests that he is perfectly willing to give in to his more violent tendencies, even if he has to use the Kendo Club in order to enact his desires. Also, he's done it in a way that has also gained the admiration of much of the student body, so its clear that he possesses more than a touch of charisma as well. Such a delightful blend of talents could prove to be a very useful trait if you were to transform him into a Devil, though I suspect that is other qualities might make it a tad difficult for him to operate with a team".

Smiling at the fact that her queen's obvious enthusiasm for adding Dante into their ranks didnt make her blind to his flaws, the blue eyed beauty proceeded to list the more negative traits possessed by the Austrian born student, and how it would effect his ability to work within her peerage.

"His anti social nature would be a bit of a problem. Despite his popularity with the rest of the school, he tends to keep to himself most of the time, so it's difficult say if he's a team player or not. Though its possible that he's still adjusting to living in an unfamiliar country, so it might just be a passing phase".

While Akeno nodded to show that she agreed with her statement, Rias suspected that their was another reason for the foreign boy's attitude. Ever since she and Sona placed him under hypnosis, the Gremory heiress couldn't shake the feeling that Inumbro was hiding something, she just didn't know what it was.

However, what she did know was that like Issei, Dante had something about him that spoke of some untapped power, and if she wasted too much time comparing the positive qualities of her potential servant to his negative ones, then the choice could be taken away from her before she reached a decision.

Seeing the contemplative expression on her king's face as she thought about the more interesting of the two candidates she had listed, Akeno decided to reveal a piece of information that could potentially help Rias make her final decision regarding her recruitment possibilities.

"You know, Kiba told me he heard an interesting conversation regarding the relationship between the Kendo Club and Mr Inumbro".

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity at this information, Rias motioned for Akeno to continue.

"Apparently, he overheard the then debating on whether or not they should break their rule about prohibiting any male student from joining their club. From what he heard, your potential servant asked Katase what he would have to do in order to become a member. Naturally she told him that it was a girl's only club, but she decided to humour him by saying that if he could beat her then she would talk to the rest of the girls to allow him to join".

Surprised that the militant leader would even extend the chance for a boy to join their ranks, the crimson haired Devil waited patiently for Akeno to continue her story.

"Naturally he accepted her challenge, and from what Kiba gathered, it only took Dante 10 seconds to disarm her".

Eye's widening at this piece of information, Rias allowed a grin to spread across her face as she came to a decision that she knew would meet the firm approval of her sadistic servant.

"Well then, it appears that our ranks will soon be bolstered by the inclusion of a slightly sadistic swordsman. I'll have Kiba extend an invite for Dante to come to the clubhouse tomorrow afternoon, and if he's interested in our offer, today will mark his last full day as a member of the human race".

While she was quite pleased by Rias's decision, Akeno couldn't help bust voice her curiosity about the other potential candidate.

"And what about Hyoudou? That Fallen Angel has yet to make her move, and it would be a shame if we allowed a potentially powerful sacred gear to escape our grasp".

Frowning in agreement with her queen's observation, and conscious of the fact that she still had 12 evil pieces in her possession, Rias decided that perhaps she didn't need to settle for one new servant afterall.

"We'll keep him under surveillance for now. But as much as I would like to chase those crows out of my territory, they haven't done anything that could provide me with the excuse to eliminate them. So until they do, we will make no move against them".

Turning her attention towards the more tedious responsibilities of her position, though she was thankful that Akeno volunteered her services to help her get through the mountain of paperwork, Rias allowed her mind to wander as she thought of her her two future servants.

One whose perseverance to his goal allowed him to whether any and all obstacles in his path.

The other whose ambitions where as yet unclear, but nevertheless still managed to convey a strong sense of cunning.

Both of these traits could be used to strengthen her peerage, and hopefully creating the opportunity in which she could escape her current predicament without bringing shame upon herself and her family.

 **...**

' _Ok Issei. This is it. Stay cool. You played out this scenario thousands of times, so don't screw it up'._

Despite his relative inexperience when it came to dealing with members of the female gender, perverse activites and fleeing for his life nonwithstanding, Issei felt that he his date had been a remarkable success, since his companion seemed to have greatly enjoyed herself over the course of the day. The brunette still couldn't believe that such a beauty had asked him of all people to go out on a date, espically since with her looks she could have easily gone after the pretty boys of the academy, but since she was with him, Issei wasn't going to question it.

As he looked at Yumma, the brunette once again considered that he was extremely lucky to have his first date with a girl like her. With mesmerizing violet colored eyes, long silky black hair, a face that was angelic in appearance, and curves that could put most girls to shame, it was no wonder why he was particularly taken with the girl.

"I had a really nice time today Issei".

Relieved to hear Yumma confirm what he had been hopping, Issei gave the nervously smiling girl a shy grin of his own.

"Same here Yuma. I'm glad that you had fun. Ho..hopefully we can do this again sometime"?

Yuma giggled cutely at his slightly nervous question before a slightly hestitant look formed on her face.

"I would like that. However, their is something I want to ask you. And I'm kinda nervous asking it since youve already done so much for me today".

The brunette barely heard the last part of her sentence as his mind had focused on the fact that she had voiced her agreement to go on a second date with him.

' _I don't believe it. She said she wants to go out with me again. This is even better than i hoped. Hang on why is she nervous so suddenly? Is she going to kiss me on the first date? Oh boy. I wonder if she going to lean in for a kiss, or press her body into me so I can feel her breasts'._

Trying to keep his rising excitement under control, Issei gave his date a reassuring smile.

"Hey you can ask me anything Yuma. Say the word and I will do it, no matter what it is".

Smiling in relief at his words, the raven haired girl looked the brunette straight in the eyes as she asked him her question.

"Issei, could you die for me"?

With his mind focused on how he would act if he should have the chance to kiss the violet eyed beauty, Issei readily agreed with her request before he realized what she had asked.

"Sure Yuma I'd be...wait. What did you..."?

Before he could finish his sentence, his body was suddenly wreacked with searing pain as his date stabbed him in the chest with a spear that seemed to be composed purely of purple light. Coughing up blood, Issei could only stare at the still smiling girl with a look of helpless confusion as a pair of black feathered wings sprung from her back.

Unable to keep himself standing, the brunette collapsed to the ground, and as he felt his vision start to darken, he had only one question for the raven haired girl.

"Yuma, why"?

Laughing slightly at the dying human's betrayed expression, the now revealed Fallen Angel decided to humor her target one last time before he died.

"Its because."

"Its because her superiors view you as a potential threat to their existence. So in order to ensure that you don't become a danger to their plans, they've decided to kill you. Quite narrow minded if you ask me".

As his vision dimmed, the dying pervert lamented that the last thing he would ever see in his life wasn't an incredibly buxom redhead, but rather the familiar outline of his condescending rival.

"Da..Dante"?

Ignoring the now dead boy in favor of the focusing her attention on the unexpected arrival of the only human who had managed to make her fearful for her continued existence, and fully aware that the dimly lit park created more opportunities to use his powers than that of the darkening alleyway, Raynare struggled to maintain a confident tone as she spoke to the bored looking human.

"Dante. What are you doing here? If you've come here looking for trouble, then I'll.."

"I have no interest in starting a fight with you Raynare. So you can cease your rather pitiful, if somewhat amusing attempt to act like your the one in control of the situation. Cause trust me, if I wanted to, I could have killed you before you decided to send your date to his heavenly reward".

Slightly annoyed with how easily he dismissed her as a threat, though truth be told she was grateful that he wasn't using his presumably strengthened abilities to force a more lethal version of their alleyway integration, the black winged girl took a moment to steady her nerves as the shadow controlling human inspected her handiwork.

"Tell me, before you decided to end his life, did you at least discover which sacred gear he possessed? Or did your superiors order you to remove a potential threat without altering you as to what he might have been capable of in the wrong hands"?

Not overly surprised by the uncanny way in which he knew just what sort of questions to ask, and seeing no reason to hide her intentions since her mission was complete, Raynare ensured that she stood firmly away from the shadow edges of the park as she answered his question.

"My orders were simply to eliminate the threat by whatever means necessary. No why are you here? Cause I gathered that you didn't exactly care about the well being of the pervert. Though I could be wrong considering your both human".

Snorting in derision at the Fallen Angel's assumption that he actually cared about the annoying brunnete, Dante was prevented from voicing his opinion by the familiar sound of a light weapon being formed. And though his instincts allowed him to dodge the blue spear so it didn't kill him instantly, Dante was nevertheless to slow to prevent the angelic weapon from piercing his side.

Though she was relieved by the unexpected arrival of her comrade since she somewhat doubted the now injured human's promise to let her escape unharmed, the fallen beauty nevertheless felt cheated that she hadn't been the one to deliver the finishing blow to her tormentor. Though she carried some doubt whether or not she would have been able to kill the shadow controlling boy before he managed to kill her.

"DOHNASEEK! What are you doing here? I had the situation perfectly under control".

Receving an amused chuckle from her fedora wearing comrade , Raynare had to school her features back into an emotionless mask as her comrade gave her a mocking smirk.

"I'm sure you did Raynare. Though I'm curious why you allowed a lowly human to live after he witnessed your handiwork. Cause from what I recall, we were ordered to leave no witnesses to our activities lest we alert the Devil's what we're up to".

Knowing that she couldn't reveal the true reason why she hadn't committed the violent deed herself, for it would greatly harm her standing in the Grigori if it became known that she had been bested by a human, albeit a talent one, the violet eyed beauty dismissed her fellow Fallen Angel's accusation with an unconcerned wave of her hand.

"It's no concern of yours Dohnaseek. The important thing is that MY target has been eliminated, which means we can begin preparations for the second phase of our plan. I trust that our new...associate is on her way"?

Smirking to show just how much he was looking forward to the next stage of their operation, Dohasseek nodded his head before casting a glance at the still living human.

"She'll here in the next day or two. On a more immediate note, what shall we do with your friend here? Put him out of his misery? Or allow him to spend his last moments in agony"?

Despite knowing that it would be probably safer to simply kill the seriously wounded human instead of allowing him the chance to recover from his injuries and thus seek vengeance, Raynare reasoned that he was too far gone to expect any future retaliation. And wishing to get a little bit of revenge for what he put her through, Raynare smirked at her glaring tormentor.

"I think we should leave him as is. After all, killing him now would be an act of mercy, and I'm afraid mercy has never been my strong suit".

Chuckling at the truthfulness of her words, Dohnaseek decided to agree with Raynare's rather amusing decision before extending his wings.

"That's true. Now lets get back to the others. I'm sure they're eagerly waiting to hear of your success. And if their's one thing I've learned during the course of our mission, its never wise to leave those 2 by themselves for long".

Choosing not to comment as her comrade launched himself into the air, Raynare spared one final look at her shadow controlling classmate before joining her fellow Fallen Angel in the air.

Despite the phenomenal amount of pain he was in, for the nature of his abilities ensured that light weapons were as deadly to him as they were to Devil kind, Dante managed to haul himself to his feet and stagger towards the unlit portions of the park. For while his injured state prevented him from summoning the shadows to obey his command, if he could reach the comforting darkness, he was confident that he could transport himself to safety.

However as he moved closer to his only option for salvation, the severity of his wound, and the resulting blood loss caused him to collapse under the glaring light of the lamppost.

Knowing that he had limited time before he lost consciousness, and ignoring the burning pain that racked his body as he called upon his powers, Dante willed the shadows to form a single rope like tendril that he would use to pull himself to safety.

However this action proved to be too much for his current state, and thus the last thing he saw before he succumbed to the blissfulness of unconsciousness was a red flash appearing besides the body of his deceased perverted classmate.

...

"For now on you will live for my sake".

Having completed the process of reincarnating the previously deceased human into her newest servant, Rias quickly noticed trail of blood that was leading away from the crime scene.

Following the crimson path to its source, and unsupervised to see an unmoving shape that was clearly a human body, Rias allowed her natural curiosity to take over and investigate who else had been involved in this late night murder scene.

Activating a magic seal to teleport her newest servant back to his home, the Gremory heiress calmly walked to source of the crimson trail and was met with a discovery that soon had her grinning.

"Well well, this is certainly turning out to be an interesting evening. Who would have thought that I would be adding 2 servants to my peerage this night. I trust you'll be able to answer some of my questions once you've rejoined the land of living".

Caring not that Dante was unable to respond to her teasing observation, and surprised at the fact that he was still alive despite his injuries, the crismon haired Devil pondered just which piece she should use on her latest servant.

"Hmm, what will it be? The magical prowess of a Bishop? The speed of a Knight? Or the power of a Rook"?

Deciding that his anti social nature was similar to that of her white haired servant, Rias placed her chosen piece on Dante's weakly rising chest, and recited the ritual that would bind him to her as a servant.

"Dante Inumbro. Your life is now mine to command. Cast off your mortal coil and be reincarnated as my servant".

And with a flash of light, it was done.

 **Anyways, REVIEWS ARE ALWAYS WANTED (no flames). And will update when...I update lol.**


	6. Chp 5 Pillow Talk with a Devil

Even before he opened his eyes, Dante knew he was dreaming for he had been tortured by this nightmare for over a decade.

A howling wind that did tried its best to drown out the sound of a burning village, the freezing cold that did little to combat the heat from the flames that engulfed his father and brother, and feel of his sister desperately trying to pull him away to ensure that his mother's sacrifice meant the survival of her two remaining children.

And finally, his sister's last stand at the edge of a eerily silent forest. Knowing that they stood little chance of successfully fighting off their opponents, and wishing to ensure that at least one member of their family would survive their people's extinction, Adrienne quickly used her abilities to fling him far into the forest before she turned to face her encroaching opponents.

And the last image he always saw before he woke up, was the sight of his sister failing to notice one of her attackers sneaking up behind her with his sword about to come down on her neck.

When he first began having these nightmares, he clung to the small glimmer of hope that Adirenne had somehow managed to survive her deadly encounter, since he had been forced to flee for his life before he got to witness his sister's final moments. However, he had eventually come to accept that he was the only survivor of that cold winter's night, which upon the passing of his grandfather, left him as the sole heir to his people's ways.

Having no particular wish to review his past at what he assumed to be the early hours of the morning, and wishing to get as much sleep as possible before he had to start another annoying day at the academy, Dante rolled over onto his side to try and reclaim his previous unconscious state. However sleep eluded him as he noticed something rather odd about his temporary living quarters.

For one, his mattress was far more comfortable than he remembered it, not to mention far larger longer than he was used to. Secondly the room, while cloaked in darkness, was lacking that comforting feeling of security that he always ensured was their to allow him to sleep without worrying about meeting the same fate as his great grandfather. And perhaps the most disconcerting of all, he was not the sole occupant of his strangely comfortable bed.

Slowly turning his head to discover just who it was he was sharing this rather bizarre moment with, Dante was shocked to see the rather peaceful looking form of the future head of the Gremory clan.

Despite the initial shock he felt at waking up next to an admittedly attractive woman, the shadow controlling Austrian struggled to remember the series of events that led to this rather surprising phenomena.

 _"Why the hell did I wake up here? By all accounts I should dead with the amount of blood I was loosing. Unless I'm experiencing one of those dreams within a dreams. But that's highly unlikely. Lets see, the last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was that pervert's dead body and the red...flash"_

His eye's widening at the implications of his last conscious memory, and uncaring of the fact that he would be placing himself on the Underworld's most wanted list for what he was about to do, Dante willed the shadows to bow to his command as he intended to sever his newly placed bonds by the only way he knew how.

By killing the one responsible for his current predicament.

However before he could transform the swirling shadows into something more lethal, the newly born Devil felt a painfully familiar sensation pass through his body, causing him to not only put a halt to his murderous intentions, but also forcing his unwanted sleeping companion into a state of consciousness.

"You know, most people would have a different reaction to waking up next to a beautiful woman. But then again, considering the nature of your injuries, I believe that your not like most people. Are you"?

Shooting her new servant a look that clearly expressed her amusement with his predicament, though whether it was because she was channelling her queen's sadism or the fact that she found his scowling expression to be more comical than intimating she couldn't tell, Rias didn't bother to wait for an answer to her question as she decided to mix business with pleasure.

"I must admit, I hadn't expected to receive such a violent wake up call this early in the morning. But since your probably still adjusting to your new situation, I suppose I can forgive you this once. Provided of course you don't make this a regular habit. A girl needs her beauty sleep after all".

With the pain dissipating to a more manageable level, serving as a reminder that he was in no position to stand against a Devil of Rias's power if she decided to punish him for his attempted murde, Dante picked himself off the floor before shooting the amused looking heiress a particularly sardonic look.

"Considering the fact that I have only just lost my humanity, you'll have to forgive me if my manners are lacking. Though if you think I'm happy about my new found servitude, then I'm afraid you'll have to be disappointed if I don't express my gratitude for remaining in the land of the living".

Frowning at the less then apologetic tone of her new servant, though willing to overlook it since she knew that most reincarnated Devils had different ways of coping with their transformation, Kiba being an excellent example of this, Rias resigned herself to the fact that she would be starting her day earlier than planned.

Rising from her bed, and removing the blanket that had been covering her body, the crimson haired Devil was somewhat surprised by Dante's reaction.

"I know that Devil's are generally a shameless lot when it comes to matters of personal decency, but care to tell me why you decided to sleep naked in the same bed as me"?

Deciding to mess with the surprisingly stoic boy, though she had to admit it was rather nice to talk with a boy who possessed enough self control to keep his eyes from wandering, Rias caused her uncovered breasts to jiggle as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I find that its more comfortable to sleep without any clothes on than it is while wearing them. And since you weren't dead when I found you, and the fact that I had no desire to wait for you to succumb to your wounds, I decided to take a more active role in your recovery, which as you may have guessed required skin on skin contact to ensure that you would survive your encounter with the Fallen Angels. I also point out that most men would be delighted to wake up next to a beautiful woman, especially one with my features".

Crossing her arms underneath her chest to further emphasize what she was talking about, Rias was somewhat surprised that the only reaction she managed to gain from the still glaring male was a slight raising of his eye, as if he wasn't impressed with her boasting.

"As you have already stated Miss Gremory, I am not like most men".

Reminding herself that her newest servant had been able to successfully fool both Sona and herself into believing that he was hypnotized, Rias had to admit that he had a point. For as far as she knew, very few humans, even those associated with the forces of Heaven, possessed the ability to withstand the power of a Devil, let alone a pureblooded Devil such as herself.

Sensing an opportunity to discover what else her newest servant servant was capable of, and disbelieving that he was totally immune to the charms of the female form, Rias decided to test just how much self control Dante possessed. Turning her attention away from the watchful boy in favor of collecting her clothes, fully aware of how her breasts swayed as she bent over to pick up her discarded clothing, Rias decided to test just how far she could push before he broke.

"I have to agree with that statement since I highly doubt that most men, let alone most humans, would have been able to convince 2 pureblooded Devils that their hypnotic spell had worked, let alone fighting it off as well as you obviously. Which makes me curious as to how you were able to accomplish that".

Knowing full well what the buxom Devil was trying to do, and having no real desire to be cooperative with the woman who had effectively enslaved him, Dante responded to her inquiry with the same tone he had used whenever he was forced to talk with the perverted trio.

"I'm afraid that is not something that I am not at liberty to say. Even if you are my master, I am still entitled to some secrets. Don't you agree"?

Though her eye visibly twitched as she put on her underwear, Rias had to admit that she wasn't overly surprised by Dante's blatant showing of disrespect. He was even worse than Kiba after she had rescued him from freezing to death, and somehow she doubted that her newest servant's attitude would be changed by learning from a more experienced devil. Still, that didn't mean that she had to lower herself to his level, since it was in her experience that even the most distrustful of people can eventually be won over if they see the benefits of their new life.

Thus it was with a small amount of effort that she suppressed her earlier annoyance and smiled good naturedly as she put on her lacy panties.

"You know, your rather lucky that I'm rather easy going. If Sona had been the one to turn you, I'm quite sure that you would be punished for your unwarranted sarcasm. But since your now a honory member of the house of Gremory, you should now th..".

"That they treat their servants like their members of the family. I'm well aware of that detail. And it is perhaps the only reason why I'm still talking to you right now instead of enjoying the life of a newly minted stray".

Slightly annoyed by the interruption, but curious of how he already knew about her clan's rather unusual habit of establishing close personal relationships with their servants, Rias merely shot the black haired devil a brief glare before allowing a small, but nevertheless noticeable smirk to spread across her face.

"Really? Considering the fact that your body still retains some traces of light magic, not to mention the fact that you're powers will be weakened by the sun for the next few days, I don't think you'd get very far before someone less understanding then myself decides to hunt you down. You might as well spend the next couple day's enjoying the life of a servant of the House of Gremory before you go wandering off on your own. Though I do hope that you'll consider sticking around. Since you're clearly familiar with the world of the supernatural, you must be aware of how beneficial it is to be a member of one of the three factions".

Doing her best not to laugh at the scowl that appeared on Dante's face after he realized that she had a point about his condition, Rias was shocked by the rather cynical answer she received from the glaring Devil.

"Considering I have survived all this time without receiving ANY aid from the factions, I wouldn't know if being a member is worth it or not. Especially considering the fact that before hand, I could simply kill my non human opponents without worrying about causing a diplomatic incident. But since I'm a chained dog now, with a guaranteed kill on sight order if I leave your service, I suppose I can live with my current circumstances".

Pleased though she was at Dante's reasoning skills, though greatly annoyed by his continued lack of deference to her position, the crimson haired Devil decided to keep things friendly while she thought of a suitable punishment for her new servant.

"If that's the case, then care too explain why you felt it was necessary to try and attack a poor sleeping defenseless girl? That doesn't really sound like someone who is content with their new position".

Shooting the buxom Devil a look that could only be described as withering, though it had no effect on the amused looking red head, Dante did his best to keep his tone level as he formed a reply to his new master's comment.

"Somehow I rather doubt that you would have knowingly fallen asleep next to a complete stranger unless you were sure that you retained the upper hand. And I admit my initial reaction was influenced by the knowledge that I was no longer in control of my life. And while I apologize for my actions, though its only because you've made it clear that I would have died without your intervention, I am not happy about my new lack of freedom, and will probably be a while before I get used to the idea of having another 'master'.

Largely unsurprised by his explanation, though somewhat caught off guard by his apology and the fact that she wasn't the first person he considered to be his overseer, Rias decided to react to Dante's explanation with the same teasing tone that her loyal queen used whenever she decided to mess with the more...rambunctious members of their school.

"I'm sure that in time you will come to accept your new found circumstances. Besides its not all that bad. Your popularity at school is sure to increase once our classmates discover that your now a member of my club. And while the boys wont be too happy about your new social status, all the girls will be vying for your attention since you'll be in constant contact with some of the cutuest girls at the academy. Speaking of which, can you do me a favor? I'm having some difficulty with my clasps here. Do you mind doing them up for me"?

Smiling innocently at the incredulous expression that passed over the new Devil's face, Rias frowned in confusion when instead of offering a snarky reply to her request, or acting like his new perverted teammate if he was asked to do the same thing, Dante merely raised his right forefinger, and to her great surprise, felt and heard her bra snap itself in to place.

Moving to the mirror to check to confirm that her moody servant had indeed done what she had teasingly asked of him, Rias was able to see in the mirror that not only was her bra clasped together, but the slight twitch of pain that flashed across Dante's face as he cradled the hand that had done this rather minor spell

Putting her hands on her hips as she stared at him reproachfully, Rias couldn't help but allow just the tiniest bit of amusement enter her voice as she lightly chastised her new servant.

"You know, it would have been less painful for you if you just use your hands. I promise I wont bite as long as your hands don't wander".

As expected Dante just flashed her look of irritation, though whether it was because of her teasing or the fact that she had witnessed his momentary weakness, Rias couldn't tell.

"You didn't tell me how I was to help you. Only that I had to. And since we're on the topic of clothing, I don't suppose you could tell me where mine are"?

Pointing towards the cabinet, Rias took a brief moment to glance over the body of her newest servant, not bothering to fight the satisfied grin that was spreading across her face as she once again congratulated herself for seizing the opportunity to add him to her peerage.

While he wasn't anywhere near as muscular as her battle maniac of a cousin Sairaorg, Dante nevertheless possessed an athletic body, with small but clearly visible muscles indicating a perfect mix of both speed and power. However as she admired his figure, she noticed that despite having successfully removed all outward traces of the Fallen Angel's attack, Dante's lower back was covered in a series of scars that no boy his age should have.

Feeling the weight of his new master's gaze, and knowing full well what had caught her attention, Dante merely threw on his cleaned shirt before shooting the concerned looking Devil a look that while still dismissive, nevertheless lacked the venom that had previously present in his narrowed eyes.

"Whats a matter Gremory? I thought most teenage girls like a man with a couple of scars. Or is that just some stupid stero type? But since I seem to have your full attention now, perhaps you can answer some questions of my own"?

Knowing that she was unlikely to discover the cause for those rather vicious looking marks while Dante was still in the process of accepting his new circumstances, Rias decided to humor the now fully dressed boy if only to prove that she meant him no harm.

"I don't see why not. After all, it's my responsibility to ensure that all of my cute servants are fully aware of their new circumstances. Though I'm guessing that since your already seen to have a basic awareness of supernatural world, I only need to tell you the things that are relevant to your new position"?

Nodding his head to show that he agreed with her statement, Dante sat himself back down on the bed as he posed his questions to the slow dressing Devil.

"That is correct. We've already established that I am aware of 3 factions, and what would happen if I was to upset the fragile truce between them. So I think a good place to start would be to find out out which piece you used to transform me into a devil, since I assume the only reason why I don't feel any diffeirent is because I'm still a newborn"?

Smiling as she buttoned her shirt, Rias confirmed her servant's observation with a simple nod of her head.

"That's right. As I'm sure your aware, new Devil's are no stronger than humans during the first couple of days following their transformation. And since your...unique abilities appear to work better in the absence of light, I suggest you keep a tight rein on your more violent impulses lest you want to hurt yourself more than you've already done".

Flashing the buxom Devil a look that clearly expressed his annoyance at being reminder of his current weakness, Dante nevertheless managed to keep his temper under control as he once again gave voice to his curiosity.

"You still haven't said which evil piece you used to revive me. Since I somehow doubt you would want to increase my abilities with a bishop piece, and the fact that Ms. Himejima already holds the position of queen, I take it that I'm either a rook, a knight, or a pawn".

Surprised yet again by his reasoning skills, though truth be told she was rather pleased to have a servant who was quick on the uptake, Rias smiled at the questioning Devil before she saw fit to provide him with an answer.

"While your continued mistrust of me is unwarranted, your are essentially correct with your assumption, though not for the reasons you suppose . Akeno enjoys the position of Queen in my peerage, and apart from yourself and my other latest servant, my other servants include a bishop, a rook and a knight. And thanks to last night's events, I have now added another rook, as well as a pawn into my ranks. Care to guess which piece I used on you"?

Glaring at the teasing tone of his crimson haired master, and doing his best not to let his emotions get the best of him as he thought about the one directly responsible for his newfound servitude, Dante nevertheless voiced his curiosity to the amused looking red head.

"If I was to hazard a guess, I would say that you decided to keep me in check by using a piece that only provides a boost in physical capabilities rather than the piece that grants the individual to temporarily gain the abilities of its more specialized brethren"?.

Doing his best not to smirk at the small scowl that appeared on Rias's face as she was forced to nod her head in agreement despite his still snarky attitude, Dante took a moment to considering this piece of information and whether it would benefit him or not.

'A rook? _Well, its not the worst position I can think of. The boosted strength and durability is definitely a welcome addition to my skill set, though it means that I won't be able to increase my agility without some intensive training. Still, it beats the skill set of a pawn in my opinion, since as grandfather used to say "dabbler in all, master in none". And once I manage to get used to my new abilities, and combine them with what I can already do, well the results will be interesting to say the least'._

Focusing his attention back onto his now grinning master, Dante was somewhat annoyed with himself since Rias soon made it clear that he hadn't been able to completely hide his appreciation for his new abilities.

"Judging by the look on your face, I take it that your pleased with my decision. I admit that it was a rather difficult choice, but I think I made the correct call in using a rook on you rather than a bishop. Who knows what sort of mischief you could have gotten into if you got a boost in magical ability. Which reminds me, I trust that their won't be a repeat of this morning's wake up call? While I am willing to forgive you just this once because your still adjusting, you will find that I am less accepting of this behavior should you treat your new comrades in a similar fashion".

Despite the teasing grin that was currently being sported by the buxom Devil, Dante nevertheless recognized the warning for what it was. And while he was still angry about his circumstances, not to mention extremely pissed off with the one's responsible he felt where responsible for his newfound servitude, the black haired rook realized that he would have to find new, non lethal ways to express his displeasure lest he encourage the wrath of the Crimson Princess of Destruction.

"As long as my new...comrades show respect for my personal boundaries, then I'm sure there wont be any problems. Though considering the rather annoying nature of the newly transformed pervert, I cannot promise that I'll be able to resist the temptation of reminding him that I am not be crossed. Is that acceptable"?

Seeing Rias grudgingly nod her head in acceptance with his demand, and feeling happier as he contemplated all the creative ways in which he could make Hyoudou suffer, Dante adopted his public persona of a charming and helpful exchange student fall back into place as he addressed his now fully clothed master.

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, was their anything else you wished to inform me about? Or can I leave the...where exactly are we anyway"?

Pleased to see that her brooding servant had acknowledged her warning, even though she knew that he would likely provoke Issei into doing something that would give him grounds to punish him without consequences, something which she knew would go over quite well with her sadistic queen and to a lesser extent her other moody rook, Rias allowed a smile to spread across her face as she answered the questions of her servant.

"I think we covered enough information for the moment. Anything else can be discussed later once I've introduced you to your new teammates. I'll have one them collect you today after class, so you needn't worry about that. And to answer your other question, we are currently in the headquarters of the Occult Research Club. Which as you probably already know, serves as a useful cover for me and my peerage to conduct our non circular activities without any suspscion. Quite ingenious don't you think"?

At this he could only snort.

"A tad obvious don't you think? But I suppose its sufficient for those who lack any useful knowledge about the supernatural world. Still, all in all I think your friend on the student council has a better cover than you do".

Scowling once again at the dismissive attitude of her new servant, Rias gave herself a moment to control her temper before flashing the shadow controlling Devil a smirk that was far from friendly.

"You should count yourself fortunate that I was the one to find you last night rather than Sona. She's still rather annoyed with you said during our last little meeting, and I wouldn't be surprised if she buried you under a mountain of paperwork just to get back at you. Of course her punishment would pale in comparison to whatever Serafall would do to you if she discovered you were mean to her younger sister, and I sincerely doubt anyone would want to stand behind an enraged siscon and the one who upset her beloved Sona".

Paling at the thought of what horrors he would have had to put up with if he had been reincarnated by a member of the Sitri clan, and unwillingly recognizing that he owed Rias a debt of gratitude for helping him to avoid that terrifying fate, Dante reluctantly bowed his head in respect to the grinning heiress.

"I suppose for that, if nothing you else, you have my gratitude. Accustomed as I am to the darker nature of the supernatural world, I highly doubt I would be able to withstand the...unique brand of punishment from that particular Devil King".

Pleased to see that she had finally managed to get her newest servant to act more respectfully, if somewhat grudgingly, Rias flashed an indulgent smile at the black haired Devil.

"Think nothing of it my cute servant. Now as much as I would like to continue this conversation, I'm afraid that it will have to wait until later today. I trust that you will be able to keep out of trouble until I send for you"?

Regarding his smiling master with a slight glare, Dante nevertheless nodded his head the spoken question.

"I shall try. Though I can't promise to act nicer to those perverted idiots, even if one of them is a fellow Devil. Speaking of which, I take it that I am to deny any and all knowledge about last evenings... excitement should Hyoudou's curiosity extend past the mysteries of the female form"?

Doing her best not to frown at Dante's tone as he talked about his more..honest comrade, the crimson haired heiress nodded her head to agree with her servant's inquiry.

"That is correct. Its the duty of every King to inform their servants about their new positions. And unlike you, Issei is completely unfamiliar with the supernatural world, so I would appreciate it if you kept this information to yourself until I deem fit".

Indicating with a slight jerk of his head to show that he understood, for the first time since he woke up to discover that he was now enslaved to a spoiled teenage princess, Dante allowed a visible smirk to spread across his face as he answered the serious looking red head.

"My lips are sealed. Though personally I think your wasting time trying to act all mysterious and regal just so you can impress a boy whose eyes will probably never reach your face. But that is your concern not mine".

Pleased to discover that his comment had the desired effect of annoying his new master, Dante made his way to the door, but was prevented from leaving by the lightly teasing voice of the buxom heiress.

"You do realize that the only reason I'm letting you get away with your current insolence is because your still adjusting to your new circumstances. Once enough time has gone by, and perhaps even before that, I'll be forced to punish you for your disrespect. It wouldn't do if word spread that the future leader of the Gremory clan had a rebellious servant".

Not bothering to turn around to face the surely smirking Devil, Dante simply scoffed at her promised threat.

"Considering the shit I've gone through in the past, you'll have to forgive me if I don't quake in fear at your not so subtle threat. Now if you excuse me, master, I would like to go home and shower before I'm forced to endure another day at this hormone filled center of learning".

And with that he was gone, leaving Rias alone with her thoughts as she stared to about her decision to turn the Austrian born boy into her servant.

' _Hmm. I can tell that having Dante in my peerage will be a bit trying, however the potential benefits make it worth the effort. Having a servant that is not only aware of supernatural world, but also has some practice in wielding his sacred gear, is well worth any minor shows of defiance, though hopefully that will fade in time as he becomes more adjusted to his situation._ _Still don't know what Sacred Gear he has, but if he's able to summon it at will when his body is poisoned, its clearly a powerful one. Though he could stand to smile more, but I suppose by now I should be used to having a rook who isn't as outwardly cheerful as my other servants. Shame though, he's quite easy on the eyes, and Akeno will probably get a kick out of teasing such a self contained boy._ _All told, I think I made the correct decision in adding him to my peerage, even if he is a tad antagonistic'._

And with that final thought, Rias Gremory congradulated herself on having successfully, more or less, introduced the first of her new servants to their new lifestyle. Unaware of the fact that as Dante walked out into the early morning sun, 2 pairs of eyes were watching him leave.

One pair with curiosity.

The other with thinly disguised lust.

...

 **And I think I'll end it here for now.**

 **Apologies for the slow rate of updates...life, and my other works have take up a lot of my time. Their will be no new chapters until I have rewritten ALL of this story...though some chapters will be finished a lot more quicker than this one, so hopefully the next rewrite wont take as long.**

 **Anyways...hopefully you liked this chapter..and til next time :)**


	7. Chp 6 Welcome to the Devils Den

**Grammar**

 _'Thinking'_

 _Text_

Speaking

...

"Oh my god, do you believe what I'm seeing"?

"The Dark Knight of Kuoh is dating one of the Great Ladies"

"You think she was the one to ask him out"?

"WAAAHH I missed my chance. Now I'll never know what his lips taste like"

"That bastard has only been here for about a week. How the hell did he pull this off"?

While slightly irked at having his solitude interrupted, the black haired Devil nevertheless accepted Rias's presence without a word of protest, if only because he knew that he was in no condition to risk her displeasure. Unfortunately for him, Rias had decided to make good on her promise to punish him for his earlier disrespect, and thus, instead of enjoying a silent morning walk to the academy, he was forced into the rather humiliating position of acting as the buxom Devil's pack mule. And since he had to endure the jealous whisperings of his classmates, it was safe to say that his patience was wearing dangerously thin.

Fighting the urge to snicker at her servant's predicament, and sensing a perfect opportunity to mess with the new born Devil, Rias allowed a slightly mischievous smile to spread across her face as falsely expressed her gratitude to her expressionless companion.

"Thank you for offering to carry my bags for me Dante. Last night's activities seemed to have drained me of much of my strength, so I truly appreciate your help".

Lamenting the fact that his weakened state prevented him from using his abilities to silence the gossiping crowd, Dante ignored the jealous whispers in favor of cursing himself for underestimating the pettiness of his red haired master. After leaving his temporary home to set out for another annoying day at the academy, Dante had been graced with the company of his master halfway in his journey towards the school.

While slightly irked at having at having his solitary interrupted, the black haired Devil accepted Rias's presence without a word of protest, not that he had much choice in the matter, and had been content to walk in silence for the rest of the way. Unfortunately for him, Rias had made good on her promise to punish him for his earlier disrespect by forcing him to carry her school supplies as they made their way to the academy. While that in itself wasn't much of a punishment, the annoying speculation of his classmates was nearly enough to make him lose his composure, and his patience was only tested further by the crimson haired girl's false words of gratitude.

Yes, his master was a devious one, but if their was one thing he learned when dealing with his grandfather, is that opportunities to get even with a tormenter always presented themselves. One merely had to be patient waiting for them.

Putting down the surprisingly heavy book bag, suspecting that it was personally weighted in order to try and get a rise out of him, Dante slipped back into the role of a polite, yet frosty exchange student.

"Think nothing of it. However I forgot to mention something when we were discussing our afterschool plans. So would it be possible to slightly alter them"?

Ignoring her classmates shouts of outrage when hearing her servant say this, Rias raised an eyebrow at his deceptively polite request. For she wasn't about to let him skip out on his introductions to the others.

"Well that depends. If your asking me to reschedule them for another day, I'm afraid its quite impossible to do so. However if your merely asking for our appointment to be pushed back an hour, then I suppose we can work something".

Acknowledging the slight warning with a nod of his head, for he knew that his new master wouldn't put off his introduction to the rest of her peerage like she was doing with Hyoudou, Dante proceeded to offer his excuse.

"Wouldn't even need a full hour. The Kendo Club has extended an invite for me to join their club, and due to the fact that I am the first male student to accept, I have to fill in some paper work to ensure my placement. They told me to come to their dojo right after the bell rings, so rather than bore your messenger more than they already are, I can meet you at the club house".

Failing to find any hint of deceit in his face or tone, and knowing that the Kendo Club had already expressed an interest in having the black haired student join their ranks, though she was sure that Dante wasn't aware of the fact that she knew, Rias conceded to his request.*

"That shouldn't be a problem. But make sure you contact me after your finished".

Searching through her bag, she pulled out a cell phone and held it out to Dante.

"I meant to give this to you this morning. All members of the occult research club have one so I can better coordinate our efforts. You'll find my contact number at the top of the list".

Accepting the offered device with only the slightest degree of hesitance, Dante brought up the list of numbers and raised an eyebrow at the contact name Rias chose for herself.

" _Your Master_? I trust that I can change the settings on this thing to suit my own tastes"?

Frowning at the slightly incredulous tone of her servant's question, Rias gave a slight nod, though Dante could tell that she was reluctant to admit it..

"You can, but only the name and ringtone. Now if their's nothing else, I will see you later today after school. And do try to be punctual, (I) would hate to come looking for you".

Not bothering to wait for what she was sure to be a sarcastic reply, the crimson haired Devil turned her back on the new born Devil and marched into the school, leaving Dante to the tender mercies of the watchful crowd who now surged forward to demand an explanation for what they had just witnessed.

"DANTE. WHY HAVENT YOU ASKED FOR MY NUMBER"?

"ARE YOU DATING ONE OF THE GREAT LADIES"?

"IS IT AN OPEN RELATIONSHIP"?

"HOW CAN I LEARN TO BE LIKE YOU"?

Lamenting once again that his public persona prevented him from expressing his displeasure at the annoying antics of his classmates, Dante endured the persistent questioning of his interrogators with a bored smile, before being rescued by the ringing of the school bell. Though as he was soon to find out that it only offered him a brief respite until the afternoon

...

"Can you imagine the nerve of that guy. He's only been here for a week and he's already gotten the phone number of a Great Lady. We can't let this go unpunished"

Nodding his head violently at his fellow pervert's words, Motohama glared at the bored looking foreigner, something which surprisingly didn't result in yet another beating from Dante's fan club, who were also glancing at the black haired boy with mixed looks of envy and fury.

"Your right bro. If he's able to bag a babe like Rias Gremory, it won't be long til he's added another Great Lady and all the other hotties to his list of conquests. Yo Issei, you want to help us come up with an idea on how to stop this bastard from stealing the ladies? Or are you too busy moping about your imaginary girl friend"?

And whats even more confusing is that dream I had last night. Why the hell would I dream that Yuma was an angel who wanted to kill me. AND WHY THE HELL WAS DANTE IN MY DREAM(?)'/?/

Ignoring the mocking laughter of his friends, Issei was trying to wrap his head around the fact that apart from himself, no one had any memory of the raven haired beauty that had done the unthinkable and asked him out on a date.

'And whats even more confusing is that dream I had last night. Why the hell would I dream that Yuma was an angel who wanted to kill me. AND WHY THE HELL WAS DANTE IN MY DREAM'?

Turning his head to glare suspiciously at the seemingly unconcerned student, Issei didn't know why, but he was almost certain that if anyone could remember the identity of the violet eyed beauty it would be him.

"That's the spirit Issei. Now how should we make this bastard pay for what he's done? Spread rumors on the internet about his sexual preferences, teepee his house, or doctor a photo that has him partaking in something incriminating"?

Snapped out of his thoughts by the gleeful plotting of his bespectacled friend, Issei was prevented from giving his answer by the polite, yet noticeably chilly voice of their target of discussion.

"You know, it occurs to me that if you 3 gentleman devoted your energies into bettering yourselves rather than thinking up new ways to discredit your supposed rivals, you would stand a much better chance of finding a girl who is willing to overlook your obvious short comings. And I would please ask you to refrain from questioning the legitimacy of my birth. My parents were lawfully married when they had me, and I don't take to kindly to those who would tarnish their memory".

Though his face was currently sporting a bored expression, few would have been able to mistake the carefully controlled anger in Dante's tone. Though to the surprise of not only the trio, but to the listening students, Dante's expression melted into something that could only be identified as mournful, not that the trio bought if for an instant.

"If you must know, the reason why I was walking with Miss Gremory this morning was because I was questioning her if it would be possible to switch classes. While the atmosphere has been mostly welcoming, your continued attacks on my person have made if difficult to focus on my studies, and it appears that the rest of the class had joined you 3 in your unexplained resentment to my presence, so I thought it would be best if I transfer to another room".

As soon as he finished his explanation, pandemonium erupted as the female students voiced their frantic apologies to the depressed looking foreigner, missing the ever so subtle smirk that he flashed at the flabbergasted perverts.

"NOOOOO. YOU CAN'T LEAVE"

"DANTE WERE SORRY. WE DIDNT KNOW"

"PLEASE DONT LEAVE US"

"WE'LL DO BETTER WE SWEAR"

"PLEASE FORGIVE US"

Turning his attention towards tearful gathering of girls, Dante merely shrugged his shoulders while offering them a small apologetic smile.

"I would like to, and I appreciate your apologies but, unless those 3 manage to halt their scathing insults, then I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to follow through with my plans to request a transfer".

It took all of his self control to keep him from laughing at the trio's expressions as they suddenly cowered in the face of the murderous glares being sent their way by the female students.

Thankfully for the cowering perverts, Dante was prevented from increasing their already high levels of terror by the sound of the bell signaling the end of the day.

However their relief proved short lived as Dante couldn't help but offer one more parting comment as he passed through the crowd of apologetic females.

"Oh and before I forget, I want to tell you that you'll be unable to sneak into the girls locker room today since I head that the Student Council is installing coded locks to the change rooms. But since you've already been in their 4 times in the last 2 days, I'm sure you've seen enough".

Ignoring the frightened squeaks of the 2 perverted humans and the equally perverted Devil, Dante calming walked out of the room, smirking as the angry shouts of an enraged mob filled the air.

...

"So the girls took a vote, and we decided that if your still interested, you are more than welcome to join our. Provided that you don't hold back simply because were girls, for every girl here has at least 2 years of training under her belt, and while we appreciate your aid in dealing with those perverts, we won't tolerate being treated like fragile dolls. So if you have any outdated thoughts about the proper place for women, then you can kindly leave".

Bowing his head to show that he not only agreed, but respected the brunette's warning, Dante looked at the collected group of sword wielding women with a disarming smile.

"You won't have to worry about that with me. Since it was my elder sister who taught me the art of sword fighting, I have only the deepest respect for those women who devote themselves into learning this honorable sport. Of course that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you, since I believe one of the most effective ways to improve ones self is through hard work and determination, but I'm guessing that wont be a problem here. Especially with you as one of the leaders".

Blushing at his praise, and pleased to see that he had accepted the conditions set forth by the rest of the club, Murayama gave a small smile towards the newly accepted member of the Kendo Club.

"Then its settled. We'll have your new uniform here in about a week, but until that time, your more than welcome to start practicing with us. Though from what Katase's told us, your already well acquainted when it comes to using a weapon".

Shooting an appreciative smile at the pinkette who, like the rest of the clubs, stared at the black haired boy with a mixed look of adoration and embarrasement, Dante tried his best to downplay his skills, giving the club the impression that not only was their newest member skilled, but he was also adorably modest.

"That was kind of her to say so. But I'm sure that the only reason why I was able to win against such a skilled opponent like Ms. Katase was because I don't think she was expecting me to provide that much of a challenge. If she had, then I can confidently say that the match would probably have ended in her victory though I wouldn't have made it easy for her".

Turning his attention away from the club's blushing second in command, Dante glanced at his watch before he gave the brunette an apologetic smile.

"As to your offer to begin practicing, I'm afraid that will have to wait til tomorrow since I have an appointment to keep. Though before I leave, would it be possible for me to make a request"?

Frowning in disappointment that she couldn't gauge his ability for herself, Murayama nodded for the new member to continue, curious to see what he would ask for.

"Much appreciated. I was wondering if it would be possible to have my uniform colored in black instead of white? Just a personal preference of mine, but if its too big of an issue, then I can make do with a white robe".

Seeing no problem with his request, and ignoring the excited squealing of the rest of the club as they pictured what Dante would look like in black robes, the brunette leader nodded her head.

"I don't see why not. Might take a little while longer to show up, but it shouldn't be a problem".

Smiling in gratitude, Dante bowed his head in thanks.

"Thank you Ms. Muray(ama. Now if you excuse me I have an appointment to keep. So I will see you tomorrow, and once again, thank you for letting me you your club".

Nodding his head at the enthusiastic farewells of the Kendo Club, Dante's amicable expression melted back into its usual state of boredom, though if anyone happened to be staring at his face, one could detect the barest traces of a frown marring his features, as he pulled out his cell phone and proceeded to send a message.

 _D: Currently on way to meeting place. Will be their soon_

As he expected he got an instant reply, idly wondering what the reaction would be if his new master every discovered what her name was in his contact list.

 _Silicone Slave Driver: Excellent._ _The others are looking forward to meeting my newest servant, so don't dawdle =)_

Irritated by the subtle reminder that his life was now under the control of another, Dante shoved the phone back in his pocket as he reluctantly made his way to the old school building.

 ** _'_** _Is this to be my life now? Forced to obey the whims of a spoiled brat so I can avoid being hunted down like a rabid animal? Tsk if the old man could see me now, he'd probably disown me after laughing his ass off. The only good thing about being a Devil is that it provides me with some for of immunity from..'_

"Nyaaa"

Pulled out of his musings by the unexpected sound, Dante turned his head to find a sight that most would find adorable, but only caused the black haired Devil to slightly narrow his vision as he stared into the assessing hazel colored eyes of his miniature stalker.

"This is getting ridiculous. First it was almost getting killed by a Fallen Angel, then it was being turned into a servant for a high ranking Devil, now I'm attracting the attention of witches. Go and tell your masters to kindly fuck off, unless they want to discover just how creative I can be with my powers".

His threatening tone seemed to have little effect on the black colored feline, who merely continued to watch him with that same measuring gaze. Dismissing the cat as a threat, reasoning that if it did mean him harm it wouldn't have revealed itself, Dante turned to leave when he felt an odd vibrating sensation cross his lower legs.

And as he looked down, he wasn't that surprised to see that the source of the strange feeling was his feline companion, who was busily purring as it nuzzled its head against his ankles.

"Nyyyaaaaaa".

Having neither time nor patience to try and sort out the cause for this behavior, Dante merely removed his oddly affectionate companion with a quick sweeping motion of his leg, causing the cat to glare at him for ending her fun.

"You're lucky that I hold animals in higher regard than humans. Otherwise I might have decided to see if any of the local trees are offering vacant positions for a stuck kitty".

"Nnnnyyyaaaaaa".

Ignoring the oddly indignant whine of the cat, and deciding that he had wasted enough of his time trying to threaten a ordinary looking cat, Dante continued his journey towards the Devil's den, missing the slightly possessive gleam that shone in the hazel eyes of the glaring feline.

...

"Ahh Dante. Fantastic your here. I was starting to wonder if you've gotten lost. Please come in".

Stepping into the richly decorated room with only the barest amounts of hesitation, Dante ignored the welcoming expression of his smiling master in favor of analyzing the other 3 occupants of the room.

Noticing where his attention was directed, and slightly annoyed that Dante seemed to ignore her, Rias proceeded to introduce her newest servant to the remaining members of her peerage, starting with the only other male occupant in the room.

"This is Yuuto Kiba. Like you he's a second year student at the academy, though I'm not sure if you've had the pleasure of meeting yet".

Extending a hand towards the black haired Devil, Kiba smiled cheerfully in the face of Dante's expressionless countenance, though whether it was because he was a naturally cheerful person or he had been ordered to do so Dante couldn't say..

"Hello. Like Lady Rias said my name is Yuuto Kiba. But you can call me Kiba if you prefer. And welcome to the team. Rias has already informed us of your position in her peerage, but you haven't been told ours. I currently hold the proud position of being her only knight. Hopefully we will work well together as teammates".

Raising an eyebrow at the blond knight's cheerful tone*, Dante nevertheless accepted the offered handshake, reasoning that purposefully alienating himself from his teammates would be detrimental in the long run. Still that didn't mean that he had to change the basic structure of his attitude..

"Likewise".

Pleased to see that Dante was at least trying to act civil, though she was also somewhat disappointed by the fact that he limited himself to single word phrases, Rias directed his attention to the second member of her peerage, who was busy eating some sort of dessert and looking at the new Devil with slight suspicion.

"This is Koneko. And before I reincarnated you, she was my first rook. If you have any questions regarding your new abilities, I suggest that you go over them with her".

Knowing that he would only do so if presented with no other choice, Dante merely nodded his head to placate his master, and offered a small wave of acknowledgement to the white haired girl, who was still watching him with a look of curiosity in her hazel eyes.

Smiling at what appeared to be a gradual lowering of his mistrust, Rias gestured to the final person in the room, who was eyeing Dante the same way a hungry lion would look if presented with an easy meal.

"And this is.."

"I'm quite capable of introducing myself Rias. Thank you".

Ignoring the slightly irritated look of the crimson haired Devil, the violet eyed beauty offered the mildly intrigued boy a welcoming smile.

"Its a pleasure to have you with us Dante. I'm Akeno Himejima. Rias's queen and second in command".

Keeping his eyes focused on her face, and ignoring the fact that she was purposefully trying to draw his attention to her rather impressive assets by crossing her arms under them to make them appear bigger, Dante gave a brief nod at the)serene looking Devil to show that he appreciated the introduction.

"Charmed".

Unsurprisingly, to all except Dante, his one word response, and the fact that he appeared to be largely uninterested in her womanly charms merely served to inspire the ponytailed Devil to act more aggressive in her attempts to get a more emotional response from her newest comrade.

"Fufu, a man of few words I see. That's ok, words are meaningless unless their backed up by action. And from what Rias tells me, your the type of guy who prefers to act first, speak later. An adorable quality in a Devil".

Reaching out with her hand to feel his arm, Akeno's smile broke out into a full grin, while the rest of the group took notice of the violent twitch that was developing in Dante's right eye.

"My my, Rias certainty picked a good candidate for her peerage when she chose you didn't she? That arm feels like it has a fair bit of power behind it, and from what I've been told, you have a tendency to use if for punitive purposes. Oh I can tell we're going to get along famously".

Eye's narrowing at the unwelcome familiarity of the Gremory queen, Dante extended his senses outwards, and discovering that he was able to connect with the surrounding shadows without any of his earlier discomfort, he readied himself for action should Akeno fail to comply to his request.

"Your hand. Remove it, or I will".

The trio had different reactions to hearing the chilly yet forceful command of their newest member. Rias sighed as she shook her head since she could accurately guess what would happen next. Kiba smiled nervously at the sudden tension in the room. And Koneko only offered a small frown, as if she couldn't quite believe that a guy had such a negative response to her buxom teammate touching them.

As for Akeno, she merely responded to the ultimatum with a challenging smirk.

"Fufu, Is that so? Well if that's the case how bout a little wager? If I manage to keep my grip, you have to pass out my share of the groups flyers for about a week. But if you manage to escape, then I will allow you to answer some of my Devil summons for 2 days. Assuming your new master is ok with this".

Tempted as she was to see Akeno asserting some semblance of control over her newest rook, Rias knew that she couldn't allow it, since it would not only alienate the already hostile Devil from his new teammates, but also because she suspected that victory would not come easy to her powerful queen. Which would only inspire the raven haired beauty to become more persistent in her attempts to fully break in her newest comrade.

"Perhaps another day Akeno. We still have some business to get through, so I would appreciate it if you released your grip".

Though she readily complied to her king's request, Dante could tell that the raven haired Devil was disappointed in their master's decision, even if she managed to skillfully hide it behind a smiling expression.

"Whatever you say Rias".

Having managed to diffuse a potentially destructive contest from breaking out, Rias turned towards her new servant with a smile, though everyone could tell that their was a hint of reproof in her expression.

"While I'm pleased to discover that your practicing self-restraint Dante, limited though it maybe, I'd rather you not get into fights with your teammates over something so trivial. But enough about that, its time to discuss your new duties as a Devil".

Sitting down on one the vacant couches, Dante looked at the crimson haired beauty with an expression that bordered on annoyance, and surprisingly enough, curiosity.

"I take it that your going to start having me pass out flyers in order to increase the number of people who contact us for a deal"?

While Rias was by now somewhat used to the fact that Dante already possessed basic knowledge of the supernatural world, the others couldn't contain their surprise at this unforeseen piece of information.

"Fufu, Rias. You didn't tell me that our newest member was already knowledgeable about the basics of Devilhood".

"I too am somewhat surprised by this. But it merely means that he'll be a great addition to our team"

"...suspicious".

Ignoring the comments of her peerage with a smile on her face, though secretly she was a bit put out by the fact that she couldn't go through with her prepared speechs about the responsibilities of being a Devil, Rias nodded her head towards the bored looking Devil.

"That's correct. Once you've managed to pass out all of these.."

At her comment a small stack of flyers materialized in front of Dante, who lightly scowled at the amount presented before him.

"You can begin the task of making contracts. Which as I'm sure your aware, means that you can begin the process of increasing your power and status in the world of Devil".

It was barely noticeable, but Rias could tell that Dante was suddenly interested in his new task, even if he tried to hide it behind his usual blank expression.

"I don't suppose there's any restrictions as to how I pass these out"?

Frowning in consideration at his question, Rias shook her head.

"No. Most Devils tend to use their familiars to do this task for them, but since your a newborn you don't have this option. And no you can't pay someone else to do it, since that would bring more attention to our activities then we would care for".

Taking the surprisingly heavy stack of flyers into his arms, Dante nodded his head to show that he understood Rias's warning.

"Fair enough. Is their anything else you wanted to discuss, or can I go now"?

Frowning at his still less than stellar social skills, Rias waved her hand in dismissal..

"Yes you can go. You don't have to give out all of those flyers at once, but the sooner you complete that task, the sooner you can begin making contracts".

Not bothering to look back as he left the room, Dante couldn't help but shoot a parting comment that served to only increase the confusion of his master.

"Then its a good thing that I'll be finished within an hour".

And with that said he was gone.

"Fufu Rias. You certainly picked a feisty one to join our ranks didn't you"?

Sighing at the accurate statement of her queen, Rias could only nod.

"Yes I did. But his abilities make it possible to overlook his slightly hostile attitude, though I'm hoping that as time passes, he will start to accept his new situation and get along with everyone".

Smiling at his King, the blond knight added his own thoughts on his newest comrade.

"I'm sure he will Madam President. He just needs time to adjust. Though I admit I am curious about his abilities. When Akeno was...teasing him, I could have sworn that the room's shadows were flickering violently. Though I could have been mistaken".

Remembering what she witnessed the night before, as well Dante's morning attempts to use his powers, Rias knew that her knight had more than likely experienced the first example of his teammates abilities. Something which she proceeded to inform her peerage about.

"No you are correct Kiba. I suspect that Dante has a sacred gear that allows him to bend the shadows to his will. Quite a useful ability considering that most of our activities happen at night. But as I'm sure your aware, he has also expressed an interest in joining the Kendo club, so we cant rule out that he knows how to use a weapon. He should prove to be beneficial to your training Kiba if your able to convince him to spar with you".

Receiving a nod of agreement from the ever optimistic blond, Rias turned her attention towards the white haired girl, who surprisingly had a look of thoughtfulness on her usually emotionless face

"And what are your thoughts towards your newest teammate Koneko? Since your both rooks, I think your opinion is the most important of all".

Accepting the red head's praise with a slight nod, the hazel eyed devil frowned in consideration.

"He's powerful...but dangerous".

Frowning at the young rook's statement, for she had also come up with the same conclusion, Rias sat down at her ornately carved desk, gauging the reactions of her queen and knight as they listened to Koneko's judgment.

Akeno had her hand up to her face in thought, but like she did when Rias first mentioned the possibilities of reincarnating Dante as a Devil, her expression was an amusing mixture of predatory fascination, and school girl giddiness.

Kiba on the other hand didn't seem a tad bit worried, but Rias sort of expected that as she remembered back to the first few months of his own emotional response to being reincarnated into her peerage. So it was likely that he empathized with the black haired Devil, and believed that Dante would eventually become more accepting of his situation.

All in all, Rias was pleased that Dante's introduction to the group went as well as it did, though she would have to have a talk with him later about treating his new teammates with less hostility. And as such, the crimson haired beauty began to plan out how she would introduce her second newest servant to the group, suspecting that Issei's reaction to his new status would be far less stressful than it was for Dante.

She could only hope that the continued ignorance of her pawn would keep him from doing something foolish until she explained his new circumstances. Though considering his kind hearted, and heavily perverted, nature, the only problem she foresaw was Issei being mobbed by a pack of angry females. Its not like he could draw the attention of more dangerous beings. Could He?

 **Annnnd that's another chapter done.**

 **Now where almost up to speed at what happens at the begging of the series. Took a while since I had to integrate a new character into the plot, but so far I think its working out well.**

 **Hopefully you all enjoyed the chapter. What with how Rias is treating her newest servant, the school's over the top reactions (had a good deal of fun with Dante manipulating the girls of the school into attacking the Trio. Cunning charisma is always fun to watch/read lol) and of course the reactions of those who get to see his real personality. (Theirs a reason why he acts the way he does, tied with his back story).**

 **I trust that you all suspect exactly who that black cat is lol. I have an idea of how to integrate her into Dante's life (though at this point in time I haven't decided whether or not to keep in her in cat form for the remainder of the first season story arc, or reveal her true nature). And of course Koneko would suspect something do to her nature, but at point in the series...she still closes herself off from others.**

 **As for Akeno's reaction towards Dante's attitude...I think its believable (as well as a good source for some humor) since she has someone in the peerage who is more fun to tease than Issei. As for his attitude towards her...hopefully you enjoyed the fact that he didn't act like a stuttering hormonal fool like a lot of OCS do. Originally intended to have a mini fight/unintentional bondage scene, but decided to wait hold off on that til later.**

 **As for his continued disrespect towards Rias (hopefully you all got a laugh out of the cell phone bit) I plan to continue on this vein for a while. Since the angel I'm going for is, ungrateful servitude, which will gradually lessen until its merely sarcastic/dry wit comments. And of course this allows me to play with Rias's character a bit more, cause in the series, no one really questions/challenges her (apart from fighting over Issei) so having someone who does is highly entertaining.**

 **For those who are starting to worry that Dante is a bit overpowered, then let me alleviate your fears. His abilities at this stage , while impressive, are more dangerous because of how he chooses to employ them (i.e. Conjuring restraints that largely immobilize an opponent, making simple stabbing weapons ) Basically his current stlye is "It's not the size that counts, its what you do with it".**

 **That being said, Dante will be better than Issei when it comes to using their Demonic Power, but not as proficient in it as Asia because of the piece used to revive him, but that's mostly because Issei tends to focus more on using his Sacred Gear abilities than his devil powers (dress break and boob language aside). However I do have some basic ideas of combining Dante's shadowmancy with his demon powers, but nothing concrete yet.**

 **Next chapter of course will have some violence in it. Since this is when Issei discovers what he is. But as usual, putting my own spin on it since this afterall a fanfic lol.**

 **Want to thank those (Geassdragon, Anime PJ and Meep) for leaving reviews. Glad you like the direction I'm taking this story. And not to worry, I plan to keep Dante acting slightly..or more than slightly...hostile for a while longer...will be fun to see how he treats Issei once he's in the now.**

 **And as for whether or not Rias will be in Dante's harem...haven't decided whether to include her or not. Still early in the story. But until I decide, enjoy their interactions.**

 **And it has been brought to my attention that my harem pairings for the OC lack flavor. More than happy to accept suggestions. Thanks to the comments I have recieved...this is what the current harems are...which of course are subject to change since its still early in the story.**

 **Issei: Asia, Irina, Xenovia, Ravel, Kunou, Yasaka, Rossweisse, Gabriel, Kiyome**

 **Dante: Akeno, Raynare, Serafall, Kuroka, Sona, Ophis, Koneko.**

 **Reviews, at least the non flaming ones are welcome (but flamers will be deleted) AS WELL AS POLL VOTES. So since I derive a good deal of inspiration from your comments/votes...PLEASE DO SO lol**

 **Til next time :)**

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	8. Chp 7 Just Call Me Devil of the Morning

**Grammar**

 _'Thinking'_

Speaking

 **Warning: Their is some violence in this chapter. But since the story is rated M, should be fine.**

...

"See ya tomorrow Issei. Remember, not a word to anyone about what were planning to do. If we keep this just between the three of us, that black haired bastard won't catch on to what were doing until its too late".

Having spent the majority of the evening partaking in the usual activities he did with his fellow perverts, watching porn, lamenting the fact that their attempts to get girl friends always ended in failure, and more recently, trying to figure out ways on how to lower the popularity of the academy's most sought after males, Issei acknowledged his friends warning with a wave of his hand before he started on his way home.

However on this particular night, the brunette's thoughts weren't filled with the usual fantasies of what he would do with a big breasted woman if he ever came across one that didn't spit in his face, nor was he thinking about the amusing, if unrealistic punishments he would inflict on those pretty boy students who hogged the attention of Kuoh's female students. No, on this night, Issei's thoughts were focused on the strange feelings that he had been experiencing ever since he woke up from that confusing dream.

"Its weird. I'm the only one who seems to remember anything about Yuma, everyone else is acting like she never existed. No one seems to remember anything about Yuma, its almost if she's been erased from their memories. And that dream..."

Images of his date Yuma, sprouting black feathered wings before stabbing him with a spear made of light passed through his mind.

"What the hell was with that dream? While its not far-fetched that I would imagine her as an angel, why the hell would she stab me? And why was Inumbro the last thing I dreamt before waking up. Its been giving me a headache all day. Thankfully its gone now, though its strange, I actually feel more awake now than I did during the day".

Having been voicing his thoughts out loud, Issei failed to notice that he was no longer the sole occupant of the darkened street. as he continued his journey home,the solitary pervert felt an odd mix of dread and danger, something which only grew worse as a slightly mocking voice spoke out from the shadows.

"How unfortunate. To think I'd come across something like you in a place like this".

Quickly turning around, Issei was met with the oddly menacing sight of a grinning middle aged man wearing a pale violet trench coat, and a stylish black fedora. Slightly intimidated by the stranger's oddly phrased statement, and now conscious of the fact that it was only two of them in this poorly lit street, the brunette unconsciously took a step backward. Something which appeared to amuse the man greatly.

"Planning to run? Tell me who your master is and I'll leave you be. If not, you'll probably not like what I'll do to you".

Terrified for his life, Issei decided to make a break for it, surprising himself by how much distance he was able to put between him and his potential rapist in such a short period of time. Choosing to hide behind a fountain to catch his breath, Issei cautiously poked his head above his hiding place in order to see if the guy had followed him".

"Phew. Gave him the slip. Should be safe here until I.."

"You didn't really think I'd let you get away that easy did you"?

Turning around in terror, Issei was shocked into silence as he beheld the unbelievable sight of what he was witnessing. hovering above him was his tormentor, with the same type of wings that Yuma had in his dream.

"Speak up boy. Tell me who you serve. Or are you perhaps a stray? Yes I can sense little power in you, so you must be one. If that's the case, then their should be no problem if I killed you right now".

As the black winged angel held out his hand, Issei watched in disbelief as a familiar looking weapon materialized in his hand. Suspecting what was about to happen, the brunette tried to run, but before he could get very far, he felt a searing pain pierce his leg, causing him to crash to the ground.

Laughing at the boy's feeble attempts to escape, Dohnaseek formed another light spear, intending to finish the struggling boy, shrugging off the strange familiarity he felt when he looked at the pain filled expression on Issei's face.

"Should have remained loyal to your master boy. Cause without their help, your nothing but a bug waiting to be squashed".

Closing his eyes as his winged attacker prepared to deliver the killing blow, Issei was both confused and relieved when he didn't feel anything pierce his chest. Daring to open his eyes to see why he was still breathing, the sight that greeted the pervert was more than enough to convince him that he should have kept his eyes closed.

Forced onto his back, the black winged angel, for in Issei's mind their was no other way to classify him, had lost his previous mocking grin, and was now looking at the speechless pervert with an expression that could only be identified as fear. As his eyes moved down the rest of his would be assailants body, Issei would have to agree that their was some cause to the mans terror.

Each limb was pinned to the ground by coils of what appeared to be barbed wire, causing the angel to whimper in pain as his restraints dug deeper into his bleeding flesh as he vainly tried to escape his bonds. A similar strand of wire had wrapped itself around his neck, preventing him from speaking, while his wings were also similarly held down. Shocked as he was by this new development, it was the seemingly impossible features of this terrifying scene that made Issei question his own sanity.

For one, the restraints that were keeping his would be murderer from fleeing seemed to be moving of their own free will, tightening their grip in a manner that reminded Issei of a python constricting its prey. But what was even more perplexing was that the wire seemed to originate from the shadows themselves, something which by all rights should be impossible.

"Your lucky Hyoudou. If it wasn't for the fact that I happened to be passing by, you probably would have been killed. This time without the option of being saved by a magical chess piece".

While the tone was slightly colder than what he was usually used to, at least when other people where around to hear them talking, Issei wasn't sure if he should feel relieved to hear a familiar voice, or to fear for his own safety since the owner of that voice had never tried to hide his dislike of him.

Materializing out of thin air, for Issei had been staring at that shadowed patch of trees ever since he guessed the direction from where his classmate had spoken, Dante glanced unconcernedly at the still injured brunette before his hand transformed into a black metal looking gauntlet.  
.

"Hold still. This might sting a bit".

Having on the barest of seconds to brace himself, Issei was unable to keep a scream of pain from passing his lips as the black haired foreigner quickly grabbed hold of the still embedded light spear and pulled it out with a sudden sharp motion.

"FUCKKKKK! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR"?

Watching in slight curiosity as the light spear faded in his protected hand before disappearing comply, Dante merely responded to Issei's angry pain filled outburst with a dismissive shrug

"Your body would have been poisoned if it was allowed to remain embedded in your leg. And since you were incapable of removing it yourself, I did you a favor. Now be quiet, I have some questions for our friend over there, and would prefer to do so uninterrupted.

Ignoring the pained cries of protest from his as yet unaware teammate, Dante vanished his shadow constructed glove and casually walked towards the restrained Fallen Angel with a look that could only be described as feral.

"You know, I'm in a bit of a quandary in what to do with you Crow. On one hand, I would very much like to kill you since your the reason why I have to obey the whims of an air headed aristocrat, something which annoys me greatly I might add".

Stomping on his captives wing with his newfound strength, Dante smirked in satisfaction as Dohnaseek could only offer a strangled cry of pain as he felt the bones in his wing break.

"Or I could let you live since you did provide me with the opportunity to become stronger, even if it was your original intention to murder me".

Casually stepping on the other wing, Dante waved his hand to slightly loosen the wire around the Fallen Angels neck, sending the trapped killer into a coughing fit as he struggled to regain his breath.

"Plea..cough...Please let me go. cough...I swear I had no idea he was with you. I promise you'll never see me again. Just allow me to live".

Stepping on the tip of the black colored wing, smiling as another pain filled shriek escaped from his captive, Dante was about to give an answer to his pleading killer when an angry, yet familiar voice filled the nearly deserted park.

"DANTE! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS"?

Sighing in annoyance, Dante turned his back on the whimpering Fallen Angel in order to give his clearly infuriated master an expressionless shrug.

"What exactly does it look like? This insufferable Crow here was trying to kill Hyoudou. Since I happened to be walking through the park at this time, Knowing you'd be quite annoyed with me if I let the pervert die I decided to intervene before anything unfortunate could take place".

Rias, While pleased as she was at Dante's heroics, though suspecting that he had a more selfish reason for getting involved,Rias took a brief glance at her heavily confused pawn before pointing a finger at the trench coat wearing fallen angel.

"While I'm happy to see that you rescued your teammate from certain death, I'm certain you could have done so with less bloodshed. Was it truly nesseary to tie him up with...is that barb wire"?

Dante,Briefly glanced at his still bound captive before he turned his attention back to the impatiently waiting red head,Sporting the same blank expression Rias had come to associate him with.

"It was a spur of the moment decision I admit. However Hyoudou was seconds away from death, so i chose to go with the first option that would have left the Crow unable to cause anymore harm, while keeping him alive so I could question him".

Rias still unsure of what really transpired Suspected that there was more to the story. looking at Fallen Angel's condition indicated that he had been tortured rather than interrogated,still the buxom Devil was willing to let the matter rest for another time, since she still had a terrified Fallen Angel to deal with.

"Fallen Angel. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rias Gremoy, and these 2 boys are my servants, and as such are under my protection, no matter how unwillingly one of them may be".

Pausing to offer a slight glare towards her latest rook, who merely responded to her comment with a slight narrowing of his eyes, Rias continued.

"Since you were unaware of this, and the fact that you have already been punished for your crimes, I am willing to let you escape with your life. But understand this, Kuoh is under my authority, and should I ever come across you hurting my servants again, then I will show you that Dante isn't the only creative Devil under my care".

Despite the pain, Dohnaseek nodded his head in acceptance at the female Devil's words, for if he was to have any chance of revenge for what he suffered, he had to ensure that his teams plans came to fruition, and to do that he needed to convince his captors of his sincerity.

"I understand Ms. Gremory. I won't ever bother you, or your servants again. Just please..let me go".

Starring at the pleading Fallen Angel for a moment to evaluate his sincerity, Rias turned to give a pointed look to her black haired servant, who reluctantly released his captive with a wave of his hand, causing Dohnaseek to shoot up into the sky, and fly away as fast as his injured wings would let him.

"Now that that's out of the way, I think it's time to check on my other troublesome servant. Poor boy's probably questioning his sanity at this point".

Keeping his narrowed gaze fixed on the fleeing form of the struggling Fallen Angel until he was out of sight, Dante turned to his master with a deadpan expression.

"You think? This is the second time that pervert's been stabbed with an angelic weapon, only to be saved from death by the most unlikely of individuals. So I would think he has the right to question his grip on reality".

Brushing off Dante's sarcastic, if admittingly, truthful observation with a slight wave of her hand, Rias calmly walked over to the now unconscious brunette with a slight frown marring her usual confident expression.

"Thankfully he's still alive. The spear didn't hit anything vital, and thanks to your timely intervention, it wasn't in his body long enough to poison him severely. Speaking of which, how were you able to remove it? Since you are a newborn you shouldn't have been able to get near this weapon, let alone touch it".

Holding up his hand, Dante willed the shadows to surround it before they solidified back into the armor gauntlet that had allowed him to pull out the light spear from Issei's leg.

"Does this satisfy your question"?

Starring at the conjured armor with a mixed expression of amazement and curiosity, the heiress nodded her head, concealing the tiny bit of annoyance she felt towards her servant's continued lack of deference behind a smile.

"It does. Though I'm also curious as to why you happened to be in the same area when Issei was under attack. However that can wait til tomorrow since your primary responsibility is to get Issei home without any more attempts on his life".

For the first time since discovering her newest servant's less than cheerful nature, Rias was granted the amusing privilege of watching her rook's usually emotionless façade melt into something that could only be described as disbelief.

"I'm sorry. You want me to do what exactly"?

Offering the incredulous Devil a smile to show that he hadn't misheard her, Rias proceed to list the particulars of Dante's newest task, taking great enjoyment from how Dante's expression changed from disbelief to sputtering indignation.

"You heard me. Since your the one who saved him, it is your responsibility to ensure that he makes it home without any further complications. I trust you have no objections to this"?

For a moment Dante actually considered telling the crimson haired beauty that he wasn't interested in babysitting the pervert, but thoughts of what she would do to him convinced the black haired Devil that it was probably less stressful if he accepted his appointed task. Didn't mean that he had to like it .

"None what so ever".

Ignoring the clearly sarcastic tone of her servant in favor of preparing a magic circle, Rias turned towards the irritated rook with a smiling expression on her face.

"I'm pleased to hear that. Because I also intend for you to be the one to inform him about his new life as a Devil. I would do it myself, but I have some business to attend to in the morning, so I'm afraid the task of bringing Issei up to speed falls to you".

DDante didn't even bother to hide his displeasure at this new piece of information.

"Are you kidding me? You expect me to wake up early just so I can inform this hopeless pervert that he's not human anymore"?

Activating the circle to transport herself out of the park, Rias turned towards Dante with a thoughtful expression before breaking out in a amused smile that made the black haired Devil regret his earlier statement.

"That is an excellent idea Dante. But you only have to tell him about the basics since I intend to hold a club meeting to introduce him to everyone else. Attendance is mandatory so I expect you to be there".

Smirking at the annoyed look that passed over Dante's face as he realized that he had unintentionally increased his work load, Rias waved goodbye as she disappeared in a flash of red, leaving the black haired Devil alone with the still unconscious form of his teammate.

Turning his attention away from the spot where his master had vanished, Dante regarded the unconscious pervert with an irritated glare before he called out to the shadows to prop him up the limp boy like a scare crow.

"Your lucky our shared master doesn't hold your perversions against you Hyoudou. If she did, I suspect you would have woken up naked in the school yard rather than at home. Though given your idiocy, I suspect that might have already happened to you at one point or another".

Manipulating the supports so it appeared that Issei was capable of moving under his own power, even if he moved like a inebriated sailor, and regretting the fact that his usual method of transportation prevented him from easily dropping the boy off at home, the odd pair made their way out of the park. Unaware that their departure was being watched by two sets of eyes, one mixed with a curious blend of amusement and arousal, while the other one had only the slightest hint of curiosity present in their grey colored eyes as she listened to her hazel eyed companion.

"Nya"?

"You were correct. I thought they had all been killed years ago, but it seems that one of them survived".

"Nya"?

"No. We'll let him get used to his new life as a Devil before we offer him the chance to join our cause".

"Nya Nya".

"Yes, you can continue to keep an eye on him. But don't reveal your true form unless I say".

"Nyyyyaaaaaaa".

"Don't complain. From what I can tell, he seem's strong willed. So it's likely that you'll be able to claim his purity before any of the Devils do".

"Nyyaaa"

A ghost of a smile graced her child like lips as she petted her feline servant, pleased by the chance of fate that had allowed her to find one of the few mortal beings capable of helping her achieve her desired wish for silence.

...

"Issei. Wake up".

Turning over in his bed, Issei attempted to ignore his wake up call, but this was proven to be useless as his mother was insistent that he get out of bed.

"Issei. Get up. Honestly, you have enough of those childish alarm clocks, so it shouldn't be this difficult for you to get going in the mornings. Besides, one of your classmates is waiting in the living room, so you'd better not keep him waiting".

Yawning as he regretfully disentangled himself from his his bed, Issei looked at his mother with an exhausted look of confusion.

"Classmate? What are you talking about mom"?

Scowling at the perceived forgetfulness of her only child, Mrs. Hyoudou preceded to explain.

"Your classmate Dante is downstairs waiting for you. He said he had some things to discuss with you about your application to some research club. Why didn't you...ISSEI WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR LEG"?

Startled by his mother's high pitched yelling, Issei looked down at his uncovered leg and saw that a bandage had been placed right over ..where...

Instantly the memories of the previous evening came roaring back, convicning him that his dream of being nearly killed by a black winged angel only to be spared at the last second by his foreign born classmate had in fact really happened. Recovering his wits, and realizing just why Dante happened to be in his house this morning, Issei flashed his near hysterical mother a slightly embarrassed smile as he struggled to offer an excuse.

"What this? Oh its nothing, I was running home last evening, and I happened to fall and scrape my leg on the sidewalk. Its fine mom. Really".

As expected, his excuse failed to convince his mother, who merely glared in concern at her trouble prone offspring.

"Don't lie to me Issei. Tell me the truth".

Knowing that his mother wouldn't believe him even if he did tell her what had really happened, Issei sighed as he came up with an excuse that even his mother wouldn't question.

"Yesterday after school, me and my friends..well, Matusda found a new spot to spy on the girls of the Kendo Club, only we were caught, and I was...".

Holding up her hand to prevent him from continuing, Issei was relieved that his mother bought his totally plausible excuse, even if a little bit saddened that she readily assumed the worst of her only son.

"Issei...I really hope you get accepted in this new club, since its clear you desperately need a new hobby. Now hurry up and get dressed. Dante's been waiting for 5 minutes, and you don't want to make a bad impression on him do you"?

Turning her back on her perverted son, Mrs. Hyoudou completely missed Issei's panicked expression as he recalled what his fellow student had done to the last guy who had managed to tick him off. And as he quickly gathered his uniform together, the brunette Devil could only hope that Dante was in a far better mood than he had been the previous evening.

...

"Can I get you a fresh cup of tea Mr. Inumbro"?

Seeing that his cup was nearly empty of the surprisingly delicious beverage, Dante offered a apologetic smile as he shook his head at the middle aged woman's question.

"No thank you Mrs. Hyoudou. Delicious as it was, I'm afraid I haven't the time to properly savor it since I'm running a tad late this morning. But I do appreciate the offer.

Smiling at his manners, since she couldn't quite remember the last time her own son was as polite as the black haired young man sitting in front of her, Mrs. Hyoudou bowed her head to show her gratitude with his demeanor.

"Think nothing of it. It's nice to see my son is associating with people who are not afraid to remember the niceiities of polite conversation. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against his friends, its just at times I wish..."

"Wish they weren't so energetic in their pursuit of adult rated material"?

Giving an embarrassed laugh at the nicely worded phrase used to describe her son's perverted activities, Mrs. Hyoudou was prevented from commenting further when Issei walked into the room, causing Dante to greet him with a cheerful wave.

"Ah Issei perfect timing. I was beginning to think that you never were going to show. Rough night"?

Despite the friendly tone of his classmate's greeting, Issei could detect the subtle traces of mocking amusement in Dante's voice, further convincing the suddenly nervous brunette that he had not dreamt up last nights events.

"S..Something like that. I'm sorry if you've been waiting long".

Waving aside the apology with a smile that Issei now suspected to be forced, Dante sat up and went for the door.

"Not to worry. We can discuss your admittance into the club on the way to school. I trust your not averse to having me walk with you"?

Knowing that he had little choice, Issei shook his head.

"No. I'm good".

"Splendid. Then we can be on our way. Mrs. Hyoudou thank you again for the tea. It's the best I had since coming to this country".

Smiling at the praise the black haired student had given her, Issei's mother watched with a feeling akin to joy as she witnessed her only child leave the house with someone who didn't seem obsessed with the beauty of the female form.

"Goodbye you two. Stay out of trouble".

Waving back to the optimistic mother, Dante's expression morphed back into the cold demeanor that Issei had come to expect from his classmate, of whom he know knew to be increasingly more violent than he had first presumed.

"Listen up Hyoudou, For I'm only going to say this once. The only reason I'm wasting my morning to explain your new circumstances is because I was forced to. So do me a favor, and save any questions you may have at what I'm about to tell you until later. Got it"?

Deeming it wise to keep his mouth shut lest he find himself experiencing the same treatment that fedora wearing angel had gone through, Issei merely nodded at Dante's abrasive question.

"Good. First off, yes you weren't dreaming. A Fallen Angel tried to kill you last night, and another one succeeded in killing you the previous evening. The reason your still alive is because a Devil decided to strip you of your humanity, as well as mine, and turn you into one of her servants. In short Hyoudou, you and me are no longer human, but are in fact the very creatures the Bible goes out of its way to warn people about".

Trying to wrap his head around this shocking, if bluntly delivered, piece of information, Issei couldn't help his curiosity from getting the better of him.

"And who decided to turn us in to Devils? And why me? Obviously your scary enough to be recruited by the forces of evil, but I'm just a regular high school student".

Regretting his comment as Dante shot him a glare that promised to beat him to a pulp should he open his mouth again, Issei was surprised when his black haired classmate answered his question instead of resorting to a more violent alternative.

"First off, don't you ever call me evil again. You'll find that good and evil don't necessarily mean light and dark. So keep that in mind, otherwise I'll make what I did last night seem like a light slap of the wrist compared to what I would do to you".

Violently nodding his head to show he got the message from the violent tempered Devil, Issei wisely kept his mouth shut as Dante continued his explanation.

"As for who turned you, I have no doubt that you'll be pleased to know that our respective master is Rias Gremory. Though as to why she picked you, I have some suspicions, but nothing I'm willing to share ".

Despite the insulting nature of his dangerous companion, Issei allowed himself to feel a sense of joy at the knowledge that one of the, if not the hottest girl at school, had decided to choose him as a servant to cater to her every immoral whim.

Sensing the direction of the brunette's thoughts, and knowing that he couldnt use his shadow controlling abilities while his body was still adapting to the now dizzying effects of the sun, Dante smacked the perverted Devil on the backside of his head.

"OWWW! What was that for"?

Unsurprisingly, Dante was largely unsympathetic to the brunette's plight, and simply stared at the annoyed pervert with an expression that clearly stated that he would have no issues doing it again if Issei provided him with an excuse to do it.

"That was for being a pervert while I was trying to inform you about your new circumstances. Speaking of which, you'll have undoubtedly noticed that you feel slighly ill during the day time, but that should pass in the next day or 2".

Allowing a relieved smile to cross his face as he massaged the developing bump on his head, Issei couldnt help his curiosity from getting the better of him as he bombarded his fellow Devil with even more questions.

"Is their anything else I need to know? Like... will I become irresistible to woman if I smile at them a certain way? Or will I grown horns and a tail?

Pinching the bridge of his nose in attempt to summon the remaining slivers of his already frayed patience, Dante looked at the chattering pervert with a glare that thankfully caused him to cease his talking.

"The answer is highly unlikely for your first question. and no for the second. Now do me a favor and shut up. Any further questions you have will be answered after school today by Rias herself. I trust your smart enough to keep all of this to yourself"?

Seeking to avoid yet another painful blow to the head, Issei nodded to show he understood what was required of him, causing Dante to lessen his scowl until it more or less resembled a frown.

"Good. I would find it unfortunate if I had to clean up yet another of your messes. Once was enough thanks".

With that final comment, the unlikely duo continued the rest of their journey in silence. One thinking of the positive benefits of his new found status, while the other quietly lamented the fact that he had missed his chance in making the one responsible for his current situation suffer

 **Annnnd that's another chapter done. Yay**

 **Unlike previous chapters, this one was generated from scratch, while the others were rewrites from the previous story I had deleted. So who hoo for progress, and the fact that the story has now caught up to the beginning of the series lol.**

 **Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter, since it is always great fun to write Dante's interactions with Issei...especially now since Dante no longer has to keep his more..anti social behavior hidden. I find that in the series, Issei lacks a character that he can be both fearful and respectful (Female characters...and Miltan don't count). Dante fills this role.**

 **I tried to make Rias's reaction to what she saw as believable as possible, since in the series she seems pretty undisturbed when she witnesses violence...but hasn't really come across a brutal scene like I had depicted (difference between seeing a dead body cut open and crucified and seeing a living breathing thing wrapped in bloody chains)**

 **I confess I had intended to write a more brutal scene with Dohnaseek, since Dante blames him for his status as a servant. But decided to save that till Asia's resurrection.**

 **And of course we see that Dante's presence have attracted the notice of some other characters, and will be making on an off apperances in the story until its time for them to be regular characters. Also we have someone who is fully aware of what Dante is, so always exciting lol.**

 **Now, for the harems.**

 **I've gotten a lot of comments about how I have them structured CURRENTLY. While I appreciate some of the comments, others were not as welcome, since they were only filled with negative replies without offering any advise on how to better the story. I am open to the opinions of others...but if your going to leave a comment about how cliché some pairings are...please list ways in which I could improve them, since it is still early in the story to make changes. Also playing around with the idea of gender bending some of the characters that are introduced later in the series. This of course will add to the composition of the harems.**

 **If you have any suggestions for additional pairings..please state them :). wont delete a suggestion...unless of course it is flames.**

 **As it is...this is the current pairings I have envisoned, which as I've said can change.**

 **Issei: Asia, Irina, Xenovia, Ravel, Kunou, Yasaka, Rossweisse, Gabriel, Kiyome. Yuebella. And possibly gender swapped Vali**

 **Dante: Akeno, Raynare, Serafall, Kuroka, Sona, Ophis, Koneko. Possibly gender swapped Gasper.**

 **Kiba could also be changed into a female character. Or perhaps another pairing will develop outside of Issei and Dante.**

 **As for Koneko...I see her establishing a bond with Dante. But haven't decided to have it either be as close friends, brotherly bond, or romantic (though if I don't pick romantic the other 2 are very doable)**

 **Anyways...a big THANK YOU to those who have replied to my story (most of your opinions have been taken under advisement :P)**

 **PLZ Keep the REVIEWS coming. no flames obviously.**

 **til next time.**


	9. Chp 8 Devil Meetings and Deals

"Stop frowning Hyoudou. If anyone has any right to be displeased by our current situation, it should be me".

Still coming to terms with the fact that he was no longer human, Issei's previous fear at discovering that his black haired classmate was far more deadlier than he could have possibly imagined had quickly been replaced with annoyance as he was forced to endure the angered gossiping of the school's female population.

""Why on earth is Dante allowing that pervert to hang out with him"?

""Maybe Hyoudou is blackmailing him somehow".

""I don't know, they make a cute couple".

""NOOOOO. The hot exchange student is supposed to go for the kind hearted girl, not the disgusting pervert".

""Maybe Dante will straighten him out. He kind gives off an SM vibe at times, so its plausible".

His eye twitching as he listened to the whispered theories of why he was currently walking with the foreigner, Issei couldn't help but voice his own displeasure to the visibly annoyed Devil.

""YOU? What about me? At least their not looking at you like they wanna beat you to a bloody pulp. Besides this is all your fault anyway. If you weren't so forceful on escorting me to the ORC's club room, all these hotties wouldn't be staring at me like I was a piece of garbage".

Resisting the urge to bludgeon the whiny brunette, and still lamenting the fact that he was still unable to use his shadow abilities while his body was still adjusting to the weakening effects of the sun, Dante merely settled for giving the complaining pawn a hate filled glare of his own.

""Trust me, being seen in public with you was the last thing I wanted to do, but our club's president wanted me to ensure that you got to the meeting on time, so I'm stuck with this loathsome task. And I point out, you wouldn't be receiving such looks if you hadn't already alienated the female population by allowing yourself to be governed by the useless worm in your trousers".

Enjoying the mixed look of anger and embarrassment that came over the brunette's face, Dante decided that if he was prevented from physically harming the pervert, nothing prevented him from continuing his insulting, if largely accurate, speculation as to why Issei was unpopular with the entirety of the school's female population.

""In fact, if I was to hazard a guess, if you continue acting like an unrepentant horn dog, the only people who would approach you with sexual intentions would be your cell mates, since its probable that one day your going to be charged with sexual assault. And considering your past history, I highly doubt you'd find a jury that is sympathetic to your plight".

Trying to fight the rising feeling of rage as he listened to Dante's insults, it was with clenched teeth that Issei struggled to come up with the words that would allow him to get even with the black haired Devil.

""Yeah...well, at least I'm...uh...You know what screw you. You pretty boy moron's are always making things hard for the common man to score".

Seeing that Dante ignored his ramblings in favor of walking in silence, Issei could only accept that he had lost the verbal exchange. Though that didn't mean he had to do so with dignity.

""Damn Casanova. Your mother must be so proud about your womanizing".

Though he hadn't intended to say that last bit out loud, Issei soon came to regret his words as he felt a vice like grip on his throat lifting him up into the air.

""Now pay attention you perverted lech because you're only going to get this warning once. You ever mention my mother, or any of my family with such a disrespectful tone again, then Devil or no, I will make you wish for another light spear through the gut. Are we clear"?

With his vision starting to darken, and having no success in trying to loosen Dante's iron like grip on his neck, Issei nodded to indicate that he agreed to the glaring Devil's demand.

Dropping the gasping brunette to ground, Dante waited until the pawn was back on his feet before continuing his journey to the lesser of 2 annoyances in his life. Though he was somewhat irked by the fact that despite nearly blacking out, Issei was still in a questioning state of mind.

""How the hell did you get that strong? Is it because your a Devil? Will I also gain special Devil powers like xray vision and"?

Lamenting yet again the fact that his master hadn't chosen a more patient Devil to do this horrendous task, Dante blocked out the inane jabbering's of the questioning pervert in favor of preparing himself for what was likely to be another irritating session with the servants of the House of Gremory.

 _'I'm starting to wonder if becoming a stray is such a bad thing after all. I'd be on my own, no master, no irritating team members. Though the decrease in power might be annoying, not to mention the fact that I'd be a wanted fugitive without any protection from the 3 factions. Still, if I have to keep putting up with these idiotic ramblings, it might be worth it in the end'_.

Pushing those thoughts out of his head as he neared the old school building, Dante ensured that his temper was under control before leading his still yammering teammate towards the one responsible for granting them a life of near eternal servitude.

….  
"What the hell is that pretty boy Kiba doing here? Is he a servant for the club or something"?

If the academy's blond prince had any issue with the slightly hostile attitude of his new teammate he kept it well hidden.

"Not quite. I'm actually a full time member of the Occult Research Club, which as I'm sure Dante has told you, merely serves as a front for us in order to conduct our business without anyone getting suspicious".

Having settled himself down into one of the club room's victorian style couches, Dante scoffed at the knights assumption as he reached out to take one of the brownies that were on the coffee table.

"You would think so Kiba, but no. The pervert was more interested in discovering how his new status could aid him in his lecherous pursuits rather than finding out what being a Devil actually meant. Let Gremory tell him about his new responsibilities as a Devil, since he's probably going to be more interested in what she has to say than either you or me".

Turning to the black haired rook with the intent to lightly reprimand him for his anti-social behavior, Kiba's calm composure morphed into a nervous expression when he took notice of what exactly Dante was doing.

"Uh Dante...where did you get those brownies"?

Unconcerned by the change in the blond club members tone, Dante took another bite of the surprisingly tasty dessert before answering his new teammate.

"They were just sitting on the table here. And a good thing to since I ended up skipping breakfast in order to fulfill our master's instructions in informing Hyoudou of the basics of his new life. Quite nice of her to set these out, almost makes up for the fact of having to deal with the perverted idiot all day".

Ignoring the fact that he had once again been insulted by the black haired Devil, as well as the slightly horrified look on Kiba's face as he watched Dante took a second brownie, Issei had to admit that the chocolaty snack did indeed look delicious. Reaching out to grab one for himself, he had to stop himself from screaming in terror as a scary emotionless voice spoke up from behind him.

"Those are mine".

"Quickly retracting his hand, Issei turned around and was met with a sight that would have normally caused him to break down in excitement , but instead only filled him with a feeling that someone one was about to die a most painful death.

"I'm sorry! I swear I didn't know. Please forgive me".

The white haired girl merely raised an eyebrow at the fearful cries of forgiveness she was receiving from the perverted Devil, before her face morphed back into the blank expression that had somehow managed to gain her the position of the school's mascot.

"I wasn't talking to you pervert, I was talking to him".

Briefly smirking at the downtrodden expression on Issei's face for yet again being criticized for his pursuits, Dante merely eyed the now glaring Koneko with a slightly challenging frown.

"I was not aware that you had laid a claim to these brownies. The fact that they were on a table without anyone guarding them sort of indicated that they were for everybody".

Sensing that the hazel eyed rook was on the edge of losing her temper with her black haired counterpart, and having learned through painful personal experience that it was never wise to get between Koneko and her sweet tooth, Kiba tried to diffuse the tension in the room by attempting to come up with a compromise.

"Now now, there's no reason for you two to fight just because Dante took one of your treats without realizing they were yours. Besides I'm sure that Akeno would be more than happy to make you another snack if you asked her Koneko".

"Unwilling to let the matter rest, since it was HER brownies that had been eaten, Koneko merely turned the full force of her glare on the understandably nervous knight.

"Stay out of this".

Fully cowed by the intensity of the white haired Devil, and accepting that he couldn't do anything to prevent the carnage that was about to take place, Kiba was about to suggest to an understandably frightened Issei that they find shelter when an cultured, yet highly amused laugh put a temporary hold to the developing hostilities.

"Fufu what have we here? Could it be that someone unknowingly ate some of Koneko's treats? Dear or dear what an unfortunate situation".

The sudden arrival of the raven haired beauty understandably caused Kiba to experience a mixed feeling of relief and dread, for while he was certain that Akeno possessed the ability to get Koneko to stand down, the problem was that she was liable to make the situation worse if she felt she could get some amusement out of it. And judging by the way she was smiling at the two rooks, the blond knight suspected which option she would take.

Luckily for him, Issei seemed to have regained some measure of his courage, and was now glaring accusingly at the black haired rook.

"Dude! Why didn't you tell me that both Great Ladies were in this club? You fucking bas...GURKKK"

Having reached the limits of his patience, and discovering that the club room's demonic energy allowed him to overcome his temporary weakness to day light, Dante instinctively used his abilities to silence the irritating pervert by grabbing hold of his shadow's neck.

"Hyoudou,I know this must be extremely difficult for you, but do try and keep your temper under control. As for why I didn't tell you about who comprised our master's servants, I didn't deem it important enough to tell you. I have enough irritations in my life without having to tell you EVERY single thing about your new circumstances. Do keep that in mind the next time you feel like ranting at me".

Releasing the hold he had on the gasping brunette's shadow, Dante watched with disinterest as Issei recovered his breath and attempted to protect himself from further incurring his wrath by hiding behind the blond knight. However as he noticed the almost hungry grin that the well-endowed Devil was giving him, he came to regret his earlier display of aggression, if only because he now had to deal with a more troublesome annoyance.

"My my my. You continue to be full of surprises, don't you Dante? Not only are you able to take advantage of the prevalent demonic energy of this room to over come your current inability to access your powers, but you also aren't shy in using them for violent purposes. And in addition to that, you also possess the ability to upset Koneko without even realizing it. Dear oh dear, what am I going to do with you"?

Turning away from the now cautious looking rook in favor of staring at the still cowering Issei, Akeno put on her most calming smile as she formally introduced herself to the first, and only queen of Rias Gremory.

"Well hello their Issei. I'm Akeno Himejima. Welcome to our little club. I trust that Dante hasn't completely removed your ability to speak? Cause if he has, I will have to think of a suitable method to punish him for hurting such a cute new Devil like you".

Fighting the urge to keep his eyes from wandering to her rather impressive assets, a fight that ended in defeat as his lustful urges overcame his fear, Issei was about to offer his own words of greeting when an odd sound caught his ear.

"Hey, what is that? Almost sounds like.."

"A shower? Yes your right. Rias was very adamant that our meeting place be equipped with all the necessities needed for our comfort. Theirs also a fully stocked kitchen, an indoor gym, a library, and a couple of guest rooms should any of us feel the need to use them. Impressive no"?

Nodding his head enthusiastically to show that he agreed with the raven haired beauty, Issei could only grin as his imagination fed him images of the n*** showering bodies of not only the busty raven haired beauty, but also the white haired loli girl. As his mind started fantasizing about the two of them showering together, he was violently pulled out of his perverted day dream by the cold voice of the female rook.

"Finish that thought...and I'll cut it off".

With instincts honed through years of dealing with such threats to his manhood, Issei quickly covered his crotch before Koneko could carry out her threat.

"Y..Yeah. No problem Konkeo".

Having successfully put the fear of death back into the perverted pawn, Koneke resumed her glaring match with the black haired Devil, who to her surprise was shaking like he was desperately trying to restrain something. Before she could even form a scathing inquiry as to why the moody rook was acting this way, Dante lost what ever semblance of control he was clinging on to, and let loose a laugh that was enough to make even Koneko lose her stoic expression.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA. Oh man that was priceless. You know I'm actually starting to regret having some of your brownies short stuff. Hell if you keep putting Hyoudou in his place, I might even considering buying you your own candy shop".

Fighting the impulse to deck her fellow rook for the comment about her height, Koneko gave a stiff nod to the still laughing Devil.  
"Deal".

Gradually recovering his wits, Dante realized what he had just offered, but before he could tell the white haired girl that he had no intention of honoring it, one of the current banes of his existence decided to make herself known.

"Nice to see your getting along with some of your new comrades Dante. Even if its at the expense of your other teammates. Still any bit of progress is welcome I suppose".

Smiling somewhat teasingly at her moody servant, Rias then turned her attention to the excited expression of her newest pawn, smirking a little as she noticed the way his eyes seemed to concentrate on her own impressive bosom.

"My eye's are up here Issei. But no matter, as a Devil it is expected of you to follow your desires. I have no problem with your interests, provided of course you don't get too carried away with them".

Blushing slightly at being caught, and slightly nervous that Dante would once again magically choke him, the embarrassed brunette attempted to come up with an apology that he hoped would placate the gorgeous red head.  
"I..I'm sorry Ms. Gremory. It won't happen again".

Frowning a little at Issei's slightly nervous response, Rias took a moment to briefly send a glare towards her rook, likely guessing the true cause for her pawn's anxiety, before gracing her newest servant with a serene smile.

"Theirs no need to stand on ceremony here Issei. You have my full permission to call me by my first name. Afterall, I tend to treat my servants like family, and expect them to view me the same way, so just think of me like a big sister".

Pleasantly surprised by the informal manner in which the academy's most popular girl, and in his mind most beautiful, spoke to him, Issei couldn't help but feel his courage return as he pointed a finger to the couch lounging foreigner.

"Then does that make Dante a moody uncle? Cause I can totally see him as one".

Letting out a good natured laugh, even though the other club members couldn't tell if it was because of the accurate description of Dante, or Issei's boldness, Rias motioned for the perverted Devil to take a seat.

"While Dante may share certain characteristics of that distinct stereotype, we are here to discuss something more important. Mainly your introduction to your new comrades, and your newfound responsibilities as a Devil. But first, everyone please introduce yourselves to our latest member".

Bowing at the waist, and smiling slightly at the bug eyed expression Issei was giving her as he took notice of how her breasts were displayed, Akeno went first.

"Akeno Himejima. Happy to have you join us Issei. I'm sure we will get along just fine".

Offering the brunette a warm smile, Kiba proceeded to follow after the raven haired girls introduction.

"Yuuto Kiba. Pleased to have you with us Issei".

The white haired rook merely nodded her head towards the brunette.

"Koneko Toujou".

When Dante wasn't forthcoming with an introduction of his own, contenting himself by playing with a conjured swirl of shadows, Rias merely sighed and proceeded to speak for both of them.

"As you know that grouch over there would be Dante Inumbro. And I am Rias Gremory. Your new d I welcome you Issei Hyoudou to your new life as a Devil. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, it's time to fill you in about the important aspects of your new life".

Before she could proceed to explain to the excited pervert about his new found circumstances, Dante decided to inject.

"Do I have to stick around for this Gremory? I've already told him the basics, and since I have no interest in going over the same material twice, I was rather hoping I could skip this and proceed with the deal making process".

While she was slightly annoyed by Dante's interruption, not to mention the fact that he was still displaying his usual anti social tendencies, Rias was nevertheless curious about his question, since she did not believe that he had accomplished his task of handing out flyers in merely a day's time.

"That depends. Did you pass out ALL of your flyers? Because I find it hard to believe that you have in such a limited space of time, and would be quite annoyed with you if your lying to me just so you can get out of spending quality time with your new teammate".

Ignoring the slight glare she sent him during the last part of her speech, Dante gave a firm nod to show that he was being serious.

"While nothing would please me more than to escape this little information session, I am not in the habit of telling falsehoods. While I am not above omitting certain details if it would benefit me to do so, honesty is one of my more admirable traits. So yes, I have finished the rather tedious task of delivery flyers across town. I trust you have no problem with knowing that I used my abilities to do so"?

Frowning in thought at the blunt explanation offered to her by her newest rook, Rias shook her head.

"No. As long as you were able to do so WITHOUT bribing others to do so, then as long as no one saw you use your abilities, then I have no issue with it. Though I am curious just as to how you used your abilities to do so, since you temporarily shouldn't be able to access them during the day".

Sensing that he would only be allowed to leave if he told her exactly how he did, but unwilling to go into further detail about his unique abilities, Dante merely spoke 2 words.

"Carrier Pigeons".

Hoping for a more detailed explanation, and aware of the curious looks the rest of her peerage were sending the black haired Devil, Rias patiently waited for Dante to provided more information, but she conceded that she wouldn't be able to get anything else out of him at this point in time.

"Very well. Since your eager to start, I'll send you out right away. I trust you'll have no issue taking one of Kiba's contracts since he's currently overbooked"?

Seeing him shake his head to show that he was ok with it, Rias gestured for everyone to take a step backward as she activated the room's magic circle.

"Very well. While I am slightly disappointed in your choice, I can't fault you for taking your new position seriously. I trust that you understand that your usual personality might interfere with your negotiating tactics"?

Dante merely nodded at her question, surprising everyone when his frowning expression easily morphed back into a more friendlier version of what he had been displaying in public.

"But of course Rias. These people are making a deal with a Devil. Wouldn't do well for business if I treated them the same way I treat Hyoudou and his friends".

Smiling at the angered expression that came over Issei's face at the mention of his usual methods in dealing with them, Dante calming stepped forward into the glowing red circle, offering his crimson haired master a slightly curious expression that she thought to be genuine.

"Just out of curiosity, does my new phone have an app to tell me what is considered to be an acceptable form of payment for my services. Or is that left to my discretion"?

Somewhat startled by the sudden change in attitude of her usually disrespectful servant, Rias put a finger to her chin as she considered his question.

"Your new phone can tell you what would be considered a fair trade, BUT if you somehow manage to convince the client to pay more for whatever they want you to do, then I'm ok with it. Just remember that we want repeat clients as well as new ones. So whatever you ask for, make sure its not something that will cause the client to regret what he's done".

Nodding to show he understood, Dante soon lost sight of the club room as the circle gave a bright flash of light that instantly sent him off to his destination.

"He's certainly proving to be an interesting servant. I do wonder how he'll react once were ordered to take out some strays. Something tells me it will be exhilarating to watch".

Gracing her slightly dreamy eyed queen with a reassuring smile, Rias turned her attention back to the dumbfounded brunette, who had been staring in a mixture of disbelief and wonder as his slightly volatile teammate vanished out of the room.

"Now Issei. As a newborn Devil there are several things you must be aware of. For starters, let me provide you with a brief summary of the 3 principal factions you will likely meet during your tenure as my servant. You have already become acquainted with one of them, and those would be the Fallen Angels. The reason why they are different from the Angels in Heaven is because.."

For the rest of the afternoon, Rias and the remaining members of her peerage instructed their newest member about the supernatural world, causing Issei to become both ecstatic at the new opportunities presented to him, and slightly jealous of the fact that despite his more violent attitude, Dante was nevertheless more aware about the nature of the non human world than he was.

 _'I wonder what type of deals I will have to do in the future. Eh it doesn't matter. With my good looks and charm, I'm sure to be a more successful salesman than Dante could ever dream of being'._

Fate would soon brutally prove the pawn wrong.

"Are...Are you the Devil"?

Allowing a soft reassuring smile to grace his features as he looked over the nervous looking young woman who happened to be his first client, Dante kept his tone pleasant as he began the process of achieving his first successfully completed contract..

"Yes I am Milady. Though I confess that I am simply A Devil. Not THE Devil. But nevertheless, I am fully capable of answering your request to the very letter. Provided of course that your willing to pay for my services".

Nodding her head nervously, the black haired woman managed to temporary lose her stutter as she asked one of the more common questions that all first time Devil summoners always asked.

"The deal is for my soul right? You do what I ask you, and I have to give up the chance to go to Heaven"?

Allowing a small frown to mar his features at the mention of the divine attic, Dante patiently corrected his contractor's assumption.

"Not necessarily. Depending on the nature of your request, payment for my services might be as simple as giving me a bottle of wine, or high financial reward. But since I don't know what you want me to do, I can't very well know what to list as my price can I"?

Producing a shaky laugh from the young woman, the black haired Devil was surprised when her meek demeanor transformed into something that oddly enough reminded him of himself.

Grim determination.

"Is it true that you can grant ANY request"?

Pondering the nature of her question, and doing his best not to reveal that this was his first contract mission, Dante soon gave her his answer..

"Again that depends. If your willing to pay the price for my time, then yes. But again I remind you, the more difficult the task, the more it will cost you".

Nodding to show that she understood the parameters of bargaining with a Devil, the client gathered her nerves as she made her request.

"What will it cost me if I ask for you to send my husband to the hospital"?

Raising an eyebrow at the request, though in truth he suspected that her request would be of a violent nature, Dante pulled out his phone to see just how much she would have to pay for this Devil delivered retribution.

"That depends Miss. How serious an injury do you want this to be? A broken leg? 3rd degree Burns? Mental breakdown? I need specifics before I tell you how much this will cost"?

Looking up from his device to flash her a questioning look, Dante was momentarily taken back by the amount of pure venom that was currently displayed in the woman's eyes.

"I want him completely paralyzed. He can't move. He can't talk. But I want him to be in full possession of his mental facilities. Can you do that"?

Punching in the relevant information into the rather handy device that Rias had given him, Dante soon came up with a list of payment options that would allow him to carry out the woman's request.

"Why yes I can. And your in luck because their appears to be multiple ways in which you can pay me for my services. The first option would be that you pay me $40,000 dollars US. The second one is that you give me an object that either you, or your soon to be immobile husband value for more than any amount of money. And the third option is that you'll have 10 years off your removed. So if you were originally going to die when you where 80, you would now die at the still substantial age of 70. The choice is yours since I will accept whatever payment you choose".

Quickly running off to one of the many shelves that decorated the room, the relieved looking woman soon returned with something that greatly surprised the waiting Devil.

"Here. My husband bought this at an antique show a year after we were married. He spent weeks trying to get it back into working condition. And though he's been unable to find the appropriate ammo for it, which I thank the spirits every day for, its fully functional".

Extending his hand to take the offered payment from the trembling woman's hands, Dante quickly pocketed his payment before gracing the still apprehensive woman with a reassuring smile.

"Pleasure doing business with you. You have my assurances that before the night is done, your husband will never be able to do anything by himself ever again. If you would just sign this document to show that I have agreed to fulfill your request, I'll be on my way to get the job done".

Quickly signing the offered piece of paper, Kayako Saeki allowed a small smile to grave spread across her face as she bowed in gratitude towards the black haired Devil.

"I know you haven't agreed to do this Mr. Devil, but would it be possible for you to tell my husband who sent you? If its too much trouble then forget it".

Nodding at her request, for being the informative person that he was he had already decided to explain the circumstances of his victims misfortune, Dante began to call upon the shadows to transport him to his next location when the timid voice of his client spoke up again. .

"If I need to hire the services of a Devil again...would it be possible for me to request you again"?

Thinking it over for a second, Dante agreed.

"Of course. Just make sure that you ask for the male Devil with the black hair. Otherwise you might get someone who might be a tad less...efficient in dealing with your request".

Shyly smiling to show that she understood, Kayako watched in fascination as Dante walked towards the unlit portion of the room and disappeared as soon as his body made contact with the shadows.

"Such a nice boy, even if he is a Devil? Got to thank my mother for giving me her old occult books next time I see her".

And without feeling any remorse of what was about to happen to her abusive husband, Kayako Saeki decided to make dinner for both herself, and her curious son and his feline friend.

...

 **Whew...this is the first chapter that was made COMPLETELY from scratch. So now finally done with the rewriting part./strong**  
 **Hopefully you all enjoyed it. Had a lot of fun writing about the continuing relationship between Dante and the rest of the Gremory group (particularly pleased with how the relationship between the 2 rooks is developing..i.e. antagonistic but almost sibling like.)/strong**  
 **"Also enjoyed writing about his first Devil contract, was playing around with the idea of having him contracted for either cosplaying or babysitting an unruly child, but decided that punishing an adulterer fit more with his personality. AND yes I am fully aware of which beloved series I took the names for the client and her family from. Hadn't intended to do so when I came up with the idea of what Dante was contracted to do, but I think it fits./strong**  
 **Also...since I have just finished reading Hell Girl...and thus am in a VERY emotional mood right now...I have decided to have Dante deal with pacts that are punitive in nature./strong**  
 **"Besides always felt that the ghost lady got the shitty end of the stick so...change of fate. not sure if she will be a serious regular character, or just used for dark comedy, but it was fun to write./strong**  
 **ANYWAYS...Please vote on the Poll that's on my profile page (Its about what Dante's familiar should be) and REVIEW. (NO FLAMES)/strong**  
 **"PS. Staring to look for a BETA READER..so if anyone is interested, msg me./strong**  
 **Til next time./strong**


	10. Chp 9 Black Leather and Crossdressing

(Couple days later)

"I must admit I'm quite impressed with your drive Issei. You've managed to hand out all the flyers I gave you within only a span of a few days, quite an impressive feat for a new born Devil".

Pleased as he was with the praise the crimson haired beauty was currently giving him, Issei couldn't help but feel a little bit of jealousy towards his fellow Devil, for despite being reincarnated at the same time, Dante had already successfully completed a fair number of contracts, and was starting to make the brunette Devil feel inferior.

Accurately guessing the direction her servant's thoughts were taking, Rias lightly chastised the brunette before reminding him of his goal.

"Now now Issei, just because Dante got to an earlier start with his contracts doesn't mean that you won't be able to catch up to him once you start your own contract collecting. Besides, if you want to achieve your dream of assembling your harem, then you can't let yourself be distracted by what others are doing".

With his confidence restored by his master's encouragement, Issei was eager to begin his deal making as soon as possible. Something which was easily picked up on by Rias who directed him towards the center of room before nodding towards her raven haired queen.

"Akeno if you would be so kind"?

Nodding with the same smiling expression that Issei had begun to assume was her default expression, Akeno's face morphed into one of concentration as she chanted in a language that Issei assumed to be Latin.

Seeing her new servant turn to her with a look of confusion on his face, Rias answered the unspoken question with an informative tone of voice.

"She's aligning the crest in your hand to the magic circle so that it will recognize you as a member of my household. Without it you won't be able to use it to teleport to your clients, nor would you be able to use one in case of an emergency".

Giving a brief nod to show that he understood, Issei couldn't help fight the grin that was coming over his face as the busty pony tail girl finished her preparations.

"Alright Issei, your good to go".

Confidently stepping into the circle, Issei waved to the watching members of the club as a red light started to grow in intensity.

"Later guys. First contract here I come.

Opening his eyes after the near blinding flash, Issei was shocked to see that he hadn't been transported to his destination, but was in fact still in the club room. The only difference from before was that his fellow club members were no longer shooting him encouraging smiles but were instead giving him mixed looks of surprise and sympathy, with the sole exception of Koneko, who had surprisingly turned her attention away from her strawberry sundae in order to give the brunette mocking smirk. The only positive thing about this embarrassing experience was that Dante hadn't been in the room to witness the brunette's failure since he was busy with a client.

"What happened Madame President? Did the alignment not work correctly"?

Sighing at Kiba's polite inquiry, the Gremory heiress shook her head in slight disappointment as she diagnosed why her servant had failed to be transported by the magic circle.

"No the circle is working fine. However it requires a small level of magical power in order for it to operate, so the fact that it failed to send Issei to his destination means that he doesn't have enough power for it work".

Seeing that Issei was on the verge of an emotional breakdown, for no guy wanted to hear that he had performance issues regardless of the situation, Kiba tried to lift up the brunette's spirits by offering him an encouraging smile.

"It's okay Issei. As a newborn Devil it's normal for your magic power to be low. Don't worry they'll grow in time".

Frowning in embarrassment at Kiba's genuine attempt to restore his confidence, Issei's pride took another critical hit when he heard a familiar mocking tone leap from the shadows.

"Having performance issues Hyoudou? Well not to worry, I'm sure there's a Devil's equivalent of the little blue pill you can take if you need help satisfying your clients' demands. But considering your age, I'm not sure if it would help you or not".

Taking a moment to smirk at the glaring brunette as he pulled himself out of the shadows, Dante's expression quickly morphed back into his usual mask of indifference as Rias quickly came to the defense of her slightly under powered servant..

"Dante, I thought I told you to start treating your fellow teammates with more respect. While I admit that I too am surprised by Issei's current disability, that doesn't mean you have to make the situation worse with your mockery".

Sensing that her words where having no impact on the black haired rook, and unwilling to give up on the possibility that her two newest servants could yet learn to overcome their established animosity, Rias smirked as she came up with a solution that would ensure that not only would Issei be successful in acquiring his first contract, but would further illustrate to Dante that her words should always be taken into account regardless of his sullen nature.

"Well Issei, even though you can't use the circle at this time, that doesn't mean you can't use other ways to get to your client, and since Dante has already proven that he can travel without the need of a Devil's circle, that means you don't have to rely on a more human form of transportation".

Though Issei was a bit confused by what the buxom red head was suggesting, Dante fully understood what his master was getting at, and as such tried to weasel his way out of what he was sure to be a irritating experience.

"Now hang on. You can't possibly be suggesting that.."

Having guessed that he would try to get out of it, Rias quickly interrupted him.

"Oh but I do. It will be a good chance for you two to work together. Besides, since you've already proven your abilities in successfully completing a contract, you can give Issei pointers on how to do the same".

Seeing that the rook was about to offer a further protest, Rias decided to offer him some incentive to do the job.

"If your still opposed to the idea, how bout I make it interesting for you? If you can help Issei get his first contract, then I'll allow you to keep whatever it is your clients give you for your services for about a week. If not, then you have to agree to whatever Akeno deems as suitable"?

Flashing the now slightly sullen Devil a smile that easily conveyed how delighted she was at having the opportunity to mess with the black haired rook, Akeno quickly came up with an idea that even had the usually poised knight cough in embarrassment.

"How about if he fails, he has to come to club meetings dressed like the lead character of a film I watched the other day. What was it called again? Ah yes...the Rocky Horror Picture Show. And he has to do so for a month. I think that's enough incentive to ensure that he doesn't fail his appointed task. And if he does, well...I'm sure it will be an amusing month for us".

Familiar with the film, and trying to fight the smirk that was slowly spreading across her face as she visualized the highly amusing picture of her easily irritated servant being forced to wear fish nets and lever, Rias gazed questioningly at the now ashen faced rook, wondering if he would accept the deal or not. She soon got her answer.

"Make it 2 weeks and you got a deal".

Scowling at the smirking countenance of his master, Dante grabbed his understandably nervous teammate by his collar, and forcibly dragged him into the shadowed portion of the room.

"Do me a favor Hyoudou, keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them again. I'm Not sure if your perverted mind can process the visual characteristics of shadow traveling".

Not bothering to see if the brunette had heeded his warning, and wishing to get his task over as quickly as possible, Dante willed the shadows to transport both him and his fearful passenger towards their chosen destination.

With the departure of her two most troublesome servants, Rias turned towards her blank faced rook and attentive looking knight with a pleased, if somewhat tired expression.

"Kiba, Koneko, I don't have anything for you to do today, so you can take the rest of the evening off. But keep your phones on in case an emergency pops up".

Seeing them nod their heads to show that they understood, Rias sat herself down at her desk before motioning her raven haired queen to begin the slightly arduous process of going through the weekly details of her groups' contract making.

"Alright Akeno. How'd we do this week"?

Smiling at the Gremory heiress with her usual mixture of poise and amusement, Akeno proceeded to fill in her king on the latest achievements of her peerage.

"Well as usual, your bishop is bringing in the most business, despite the fact that he never actually meets his clients. Kiba continues to maintain his weekly average of 12 successfully completed contracts, so there's nothing to worry about. In Koneko's case however, seems that her total this week is half of what it usually is. Though from what I can tell, I suspect that Dante is the cause for this".

Seeing that the raven haired Devil was clearly amused by what ever the male rook had done, Rias reined in her annoyance at having to deal with another problem caused by her male rook, and merely shot her smirking queen an inquisitive expression.

"And why pray tell do you suspect Dante of having something to do with Koneko's decreased performance. Despite the somewhat tense relationship between the two, I never got the impression that Dante would deliberately sabotage his fellow rook's accomplishments".

Shaking her head, Akeno's smile became more vicious as she proceeded to explain just what Dante had did.

"Oh nothing like that. It seems that a couple of our clients had contacted us for the purpose of making a few examples out of the more...single minded residents of Kuoh, which I point out made up a good number of Koneko's regular customers. And since a fair number of them are now in the hospital for either physical injuries, or mental trauma, it is unsurprisingly as to why Koneko hasn't been summoned to fulfill their contracts.

Accepting the outstretched reviews from her clearly amused queen, Rias quickly skimmed through them before releasing a slightly irritated sigh that was starting to become a common occurrence whenever she had to deal with her new servant's more violent traits.

"He's put 5 people in the hospital, 2 of which will never walk again, and at least 3 more are currently undergoing intense mental therapy. I can't decide whether I should be pleased that I have a servant who is capable of completing the more difficult contracts we receive, or concerned that my servant has no qualms about hurting people who have done nothing to him personally".

Putting a finger to her chin in contemplation, Akeno readily voiced her own opinion on the matter.

"Considering that all of the people he's injured had in some way deserved to be punished, then my suggestion is that you let him continue what he's doing. Besides, the one's who were Koneko's clients would have been hurt sooner or later since they always seemed a little too interested in having her as their contractor".

Chuckling a little at the truthfulness in Akeno's statement, Rias's expression turned pensive as her mind drifted towards her other newly acquired servant.

"I just hope that Issei's first client isn't a vengeful housewife, or a group of vindictive teenagers. Despite the fact that he would probably do his best to fulfill their wishes, I somehow doubt that they would put up with his enthusiasm for the female body even if he is helping them achieve their goal".

Though she nodded her head in agreement, Akeno couldn't hide a sly smile from spreading across her face as she remembered the implications of what a failed contract would do to one of her teammates.

"True, but I find myself secretly wishing for Issei to fail his first contract, only because that would mean Dante parading around in nothing more than a black leather corset and fishnets for the next two weeks. I'm sure that it would be quite a...educating experience, but then again considering you've already shared a bed with him, you're already well acquainted with his body aren't you"?

Sensing the slightly jealous tone in her queen's inquiry, Rias sported a small smirk as she graced the raven haired beauty with a nod.

"That I have. However that doesn't mean that I wouldn't enjoy the spectacle of watching him dressed like a mid 70's transvestite. Though I somehow doubt that would do much to improve his already slightly hostile attitude towards us".

Adopting a thoughtful expression, Akeno conceded that her king had a point about Dante's reaction to being forced into wearing such a skimpy outfit. Nevertheless the busty beauty still looked forward to such an occurrence happening.

"You may be right, but considering he agreed to the conditions, he would have no one to blame for his entertaining predicament but himself. Though I have to ask, how does he look when he's not burdened by all that clothing. I still can't believe he managed to convince the student council to allow him to come to school without wearing a uniform, though I have to admit he does look quite fetching in his black overcoat and matching shirt".

Silently agreeing with her, but still shaking her head at the seemingly one track mind of her faithful queen, Rias nonetheless answered Akeno's question with a smile.

"Well, he's slightly more muscular than Kiba, but far from approaching the physique of my cousin Sairaorg, which sort of indicates that his fighting style is a combination of a near perfect balance of both speed and power. Though I suspect that his new status as a rook will cause him to adapt to his style since rook's have a hard time developing combat skills that don't rely on overwhelming strength, though it is possible that Dante might do the opposite. All in all I admit that he's well put together, but there is something that struck me as curious".

Tilting her head in a questioning motion, Akeno couldn't help the slightly perverse smile that spread across her face as she made guess as to what made Dante's body stand out.

"I take it that his... personal weapon is a bit bigger from what you were expecting. Always suspected it was impressive since he certainly never seems to lack confidence does he"?

Unsurprised by the direction Akeno's mind took when discussing Dante's body, and unwilling to admit that their was some truth to her queen's inquiry even if her intention had been to heal her newest servant rather than get intimate with him, Rias proceeded to tell her exactly what had made her thoughtful.

"His lower back has a series of scars that look like someone tried to burn his skin off before they decided to go with a more hands on approach by simply whipping him. And what's even more disgusting is that those marks are arrayed in a fashion that make it look ritualized. And yet despite my best efforts, none of those scars had disappeared after our healing session'.

Frowning a little at this information, Akeno stared at the crimson haired Devil with a look of puzzlement.

"Hmmm. Even if their old scars, they should have disappeared after hours of healing contact. The only reason why they would have remained would be if..."

Seeing that her queen had reached the same conclusion that she herself had reached, Rias proceeded to break the silence that had spawned in the wake of Akeno's realization.

"If they were caused by something of either a cursed, or divine nature. That would explain why my magic failed to heal him since the technique can only fully heal wounds of that nature IF their treated immediately".

Shocked as she was by the knowledge that her newest teammate had already encountered such an opponent in his life, Akeno couldn't help but feel a tiny bit curious as to what Dante had been doing with his life before he was reincarnated as a Devil. But knowing that the black haired rook wasn't the most social of beings, she highly doubted that he would be forthcoming about information about his past.

"Though I hate to admit it, I don't think it is appropriate to make Dante open up about his past. If we tried it now, it's likely that we'd be harming our attempts to make him feel comfortable in our little group. Though, the fact that he has a couple of scars, and a potentially juicy backstory makes him far more interesting than I thought he'd be".

Shaking her head in amusement at Akeno's clear fascination with the boy, and unwilling to admit that her slightly rebellious servant was also starting to cause her to develop interest into his origins, the heiress to the Gremory clan decided to put aside that matter for another day.

"As amusing as it is to discuss your infatuation with your fellow servant Akeno, we do need to get some work done before we leave for the day, so save any further comments about our violence prone rook for another time".

Frowning a bit at having her fun interrupted, Akeno nevertheless complied with her master's wishes.

"Very well. Have you decided if we're going to take advantage of this month's full moon? you know full well its...".

Smiling at the ability of her queen to remain on point regardless of her desires, Rias couldn't help but wonder how her newest servants were getting along, and whether or not they'd return with a completed contract.

"So Mr Devil. Can you make me into a magical girl or not"?

Trying not to wet himself in fear as he barely endured the pointed glare that his cross-dressing and overly muscular client was giving him, Issei tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't result in having his spine snapped in half by the exceedingly creepy summoner.

"We..well. First wh..why don't you first tell me why you want to be a magical girl"?.

Doing his best not to shiver as the disturbing man struck a pose that was only seen in cheesy cartoons and comic books, Issei fought the impulse to flee the girly decorated apartment as he listened to his client's reasons for wanting to become something absolutely absurd.

"Ever since I was a little boy, I've always been fascinated by the magical world, and nothing represented this desire better than the manga series Cardcaptor Sakura. Despite the fact that she was only 10 years old when she discovered her destiny, she met it head on, always triumphing over her powerful adversaries with the help of her friends. As a boy, I always lacked the confidence to conquer my fears, but I think that if I was like Sakura, I'd have more confidence in myself and people would like me".

Seeing that Miltan was completely serious in his explanation, and that Issei was about to pass out from sheer terror at discovering this, Dante decided to forgo his silent vigil and intervene lest they loose the contract completely.

"A remarkable story Miltan. However I'm afraid that the cost of turning you into a magical girl might be beyond your ability to pay for it. However their are several options within your price range that, while falling short of your original goal, would still allow you to become closer to your hero. If your interested of course".

Frowning in confusion at his, for lack of a better term supervisor's, offer, Issei was relieved when Miltan turned his attention away from him and stared almost hungrily at the black haired Devil.

"YOU MEAN IT? OHHH THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU".

Successfully keeping himself from cringing at the spectacle of the dress wearing client jumping up and down in excitement, though he smiled in amusement at the horrified, yet relieved look on the brunette's face as he explained to Miltan what he was going to do.

"Now as I'm sure your aware, being the avid magical girl fan that you are, one of the things that makes a magical girl...well magical is the fact that they have a companion to accompany them on their adventures. Am I right"?

Seeing the muscular cross dresser give him a nod of agreement Dante continued his explanation.

"Well then, if Issei where to give you a familiar of your own, that would go a long way into making you a magical girl wouldn't it"?

Pausing for a moment to consider it, Miltan broke out into a huge smile as he brought the suddenly fearful brunette into a hug that would have easily crushed his bones if he was still human. As it was, the vice like grip the muscular cos-player had around his waist was enough to convince Issei that he should seriously begin working out, if only to become more durable in the face of excited clients.

"OH THAT'S PERFECT! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH. TELL ME WHAT I HAVE TO DO TO GET A CUTE FAMILIAR AND I'LL GIVE YOU WHAT EVER YOU WANT".

Smirking at Issei's obvious discomfort at being forced into a near lethal bear hug, Dante consulted his phone to come up with an agreeable price, desperately trying to keep himself from laughing out loud as the brunette Devil vainly tried to escape his predicament

"Hmmm...it says here that an appropriate price for what you want would be a cash donation around $4000 American, or something that you value above money. Issei since it's your contract, how would you prefer to be paid for your services"?

Successfully managing to free himself from his client's grasp, the brunette took a moment to pop his spine back into place before he considered which payment option would get him more recognition as a Devil.

"I think something he values would be enough. Is that okay with you Miltan"?

Nodding his head enthusiastically, Miltan rushed out of the room to get his form of payment, leaving the two Devil's alone to wait upon his return.

"That was close. But how the hell am I supposed to come up with a pet for this guy in the next 30 seconds? It's not as if I have them coming out of my sleeves".

With their client gone for the moment, Dante switched back into his normal bored expression before deigning to answer his teammates inquiry.

"Not to worry Hyoudou. All you need to do is act like your usual moronic self and let me do the work. Just make sure to wave your hands in a complicated fashion AFTER I tell you to. Got it"?

Slightly disturbed by how easily his black haired companion could switch from being a charming salesman to his usual moody self, Issei quickly nodded his head as Miltan came back with a slightly sad expression as she carried a small stalk of rather worn looking books

"These are the first editions of some of my favorite magical girl series. I hate to part with them, but the chance to have a familiar of mine is too great to pass up. Please take good care of them Mr. Devil".

Accepting the pile with the greatest of reverence, since he knew full well what a first edition was worth, Issei gently put them down as he prepared to fulfill Miltan's request.

"For sure. Now before Dan...I mean before I summon you a familiar, is they any particular type that you want"?

Putting a finger to his cleft chin in consideration, Miltan quickly came to a decision.

"I want a cute black cat. One that can do stuff that others can't. Annnndddd I want it to be able to go to the bathroom like a person, litter boxes are stinky".

Struggling to keep his composure in the face of receiving that sort of request from his intimidating client, Issei shot his fellow Devil a questioning look, as if asking that such a thing was possible for him to do. Receiving a nod from his black haired teammate, Issei cleared his throat as he stared up at the cosplaying body builder.

"Sh..shouldn't be a problem. I just need you to cover your eyes since what I'm about to do may cause you to go blind".

As Miltan complied to his request, Issei turned to look at his unwilling supervisor and was met with a fascinating, if slightly creepy sight.

With his arm stretched forward, a small sphere of darkness was now growing in front of the now frowning Devil, but as it took on a form that started to resemble something like a feline, Issei noticed how Dante's piercing blue eyes had transformed into something that chillingly reminded Issei of a shark.

Ignoring the brunette's look of fearful astonishment in favor of completing his task, Dante was somewhat surprised to discover that the usual exhaustion he felt at forming a solid animate object out of shadow was somewhat absent, and the amount of time it took to create it was far less than it was when he was still human. Choosing to test just how much being a Devil enhanced his already impressive array of skills at a later date, Dante relaxed his control over the swirling shadows, and handed his undeniably cute creation to his dumbstruck looking teammate with a superior smirk.

"You can open your eyes Miltan. Issei has successfully summoned your familiar".

Prevented from asking Dante why he was giving him the credit by the excited squealing of his client, Issei was forced to push that thought out of his mind as he listened to the grateful words of the overly muscular cross dresser.

"OH THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. HE'S SUCH A CUTE LITTLE KITTY. OH YES HE IS, YES HE IS".

Desperately trying to retain his remaining sanity by ignoring the frighteningly adorable scene of Miltan nuzzling the black haired kitten, Issei was relieved when Dante once again took charge of the situation.

"I'm pleased to see that you appreciate Issei's work Miltan. As requested, your new kitten has a set range of abilities that make it far more unique than a normal feline. Besides being able to use the toilet like a human being, it also possesses increased intelligence so you can train it to do what ever it is you want it to do, the ability to walk through solid objects if it wants, and if the surrounding area is dark enough, it can teleport itself over short distances. Now since Issei has held up his part of the bargain, I'm gonna have to ask that you sign this contract to show that HE did the job to your satisfaction. Issei if you would kindly give him the necessary paper work so we can complete this transaction".

Quickly pulling it out of his jacket pocket, Issei quickly handed it to the Miltan, who promptly signed it without ever taking his eyes off the conjured feline. Glancing over Issei's shoulder to ensure that the contract was properly signed, Dante grasped Issei's shoulder as he called upon the shadows to prepare them for a speedy departure away fro their bizarre client.

"Pleasure doing business with you Miltan. Issei grab the payment and we'll be on our way".

Grabbing the stack of vintage manga, Issei once again felt the suffocating and slightly cold sensation that he had come to associate with Dante's unnatural form of transportation, and was greatly relieved when he once again felt the sun's warmth against his body.

"Oh thank Go...OWW! What the hell was that"?

Shooting the brunette a slightly cruel smirk as he held his head in pain, Dante proceeded to explain the new facts of life for the newly raised Devil.

"That is what happens when a Devil offers up a prayer to the big man upstairs. He kinda holds a grudge against the whole Devil race for trying to corrupt mankind and standing against him, so best not to draw his notice if you can help it".

Thankfully the pain in his head disappeared as quickly as it came, so Issei was able to shoot his now blank faced companion an accusatory glare that didn't seam to phase him in the slightest.

"You could have told me that would happen instead of letting me hurt myself".

Eye's narrowing at the brunette's tone, Dante nevertheless reveled in the opportunity to teach the still naive Devil a lesson.

"I shouldn't have to. Any idiotic twit knows that creatures of hell suffer pain when the big man upstairs is mentioned. And besides, how the hell was I supposed to know what you were going to say, mind reading is sadly not a skill I possess. Anyways enough about your self inflicted injuries, did you manage to learn something about how to successfully close a deal with a client? I don't know about you, but I would rather not make this a common occurrence".

Struggling to prevent himself from launching his fist towards the mocking Devil, even if he knew that such an attempt would likely result with him being smashed to a pulp, Issei nonetheless took the time to consider Dante's question before providing him with an answer.

"Well, from what I saw, I learned that if I'm unable to do precisely what they want me to do, I should find something that is both within my capabilities, AND linked to their original desire and give them that instead".

Nodding his head to show that the brunette had gotten the gist of his lesson, Dante was about to tell him what he had left out when his phone went off.

 _I'm on the highway to hell_

 _On the highway to hell_

 _Highway to hell_

 _I'm on the highway to hell_

Somewhat irked by the interruption, and ignoring Issei's incredulous look as he listened to the personal ringtone, Dante quickly pulled out the communication device in order to get what he was sure to be an annoying conversation out of the way.

"Yes Rias? What do you want"?

Despite the fact that he couldn't see her right now, the amused tone of his master's voice convinced Dante that Rias was probably sporting her usual teasing smirk as she talked to him.

"Just calling to congratulate you on helping your comrade achieve his first contract. I'm very happy to see that despite your unwarranted dislike of Issei, your still able to work together when the occasion calls for it. Though I feel compelled to tell you that Akeno was quite upset when she discovered you wouldn't be wearing black leather and fishnets anytime soon".

Shooting the now laughing pawn a look that would have put Koneko's patented glare to shame, it was with the driest of tones that Dante offered a reply to his crimson haired master's comment.

"I'm sure she'll survive. Now, not that I don't love our little chats, but surely you didn't just call me to talk about my ability to prevent myself from maiming my fellow Devil. Though I confess that the thought has been on my mind".

Conjuring a thin looking dagger into his hand, Dante was immensely satisfied when Issei ceased his laughing in favor of looking at him with a terrified beseeching expression. In fact the image of Issei begging for forgiveness served to improve his mood to such a high degree, that Dante didn't even feel any irritation when Rias told him the true reason why she called.

"As a matter of fact I do have a reason to call you. I just received a request from a client asking for a black haired Devil, and since Akeno is busy with some administrative duties, I only have you to send. I trust that you aren't too tired from your time with Miltan to take on another contract"?

Fiddling with the knife in his hand, Dante considered it before deciding to offer a reply.

"As long as I don't have to bring Hyoudou with me, than I have no issues with it".

Hearing both the brunette and crimson haired Devil give him a sigh for his answer, though he could tell Issei's was a sigh of relief while Rias probably was just disappointed at his demand, Dante was nevertheless pleased by the reply he received.

"Very well. I suppose you can improve your teamwork skills another time. Anyway, I'm sending you the address of where you have to go, so try not to keep the client waiting".

Vanishing his conjured weapon to the great relief of the perverted Devil, Dante glanced at the texted address before preparing to travel by his usual method.

"I trust you can prevent yourself from getting into trouble Hyoudou? Cause I'm getting tired of coming to your rescre time after time".

And before Issei could come with an angry retort at the condescending, if somewhat truthful statement of the black haired Devil, Dante disappeared from view, causing the brunette to give out a sigh of relief at having survived the day's frightening events.

"Man this Devil stuff isn't as easy as I thought it would be. First I end up getting nearly killed by another evil Angel, then I have to pass out a bunch of flyers just so my first demonic deal can be with a muscle bound cross dresser. But if this is what it takes to reach my dream of becoming a harem king, then I will gladly suffer any and all indignities".

His confidence restored, and having nothing better to do with his day since his friends had started to distance themselves from him when they discovered that he was now a member of the most popular club in school, Issei decided to enjoy the relative peacefulness of the park by sitting on a bench and reading the stack of manga that was his payment.

"Hmmm, lets see which one would be the best to start with."

"OUCH!"

Quickly looking up from his new vintage collection to see that a blond haired girl had fallen on her face right in front of his bench, causing her skirt to bunch around her waist giving him a perfect view of her satin white p***. Fighting the urge to stare at the beautiful sight in front of him, Issei quickly leaped into action as he offered his hand to help the poor girl to her feet

"Hey are you alright? Here let me help you".

As the girl accepted his hand and pulled herself to her feet, Issei's concerned gaze was met by a pair of innocent green eyes, and for the first time since becoming interested in the physical characteristics of the female population, Issei felt an emotion that was far more pure and intense than anything he had experienced before. And as she spoke, the Devil felt a surge of protectiveness surge within him.

"Yes thank you. I'm sorry to have disturbed you good sir. It's just that..I'm kinda lost and until I ran into you, I couldn't understand what anyone is saying. Thank goodness I found someone who can understand me. Oh I'm forgetting my manners".

Bowing her head forward, she proceeded to introduce herself to the star struck brunette.

"My name is Asia Argento. Pleased to meet you".

 **Annnnnnd That's another chapter done, which also happens to be the 10th chapter of this story. 1 important landmark down :P**

 **Anyways, Hope you all are enjoying the story. And to answer the unspoken question...yes it was always my intention to skip some scenes from the series (i.e. Issei declaring his wish to become harem king, and the first time he summons the sacred gear). That isn't to say they didn't happen, but it helps move the story along if I just briefly mention them.**

 **This chapter had a little bit more information about Dante's abilities/past history. Not entirely sure how strong the healing abilities of a Devil are in the series, but figured that it could remove any trace of a supernatural wound IF it was gotten to in time (Issei's stab wounds being a case in point) while normal human injuries would be easily removed. So with that understanding, Dante could still keep his child hood injuries (slowly building up his back story).**

 **As for his shadowmancy, the ability to conjure not only solid inanimate objects (like chains, daggers, barbed wire) but also animate objects (i.e. animals, and is different from an illusion made from shadows) was always an ability that I was going to give him. The fact that he's a Devil (i.e. a being whose power is greater in darkness) merely makes it easier for him to do so. I confess I already have a great way to play with this when it comes to training Issei to become a more useful member of the team (particularly during the Phenux storyline when they go off to train) but not going to spoil it now :)**

 **And as for his deal making technique, that is HEAVILY influenced by my favorite cross roads Demon from a tv show. Guy can be charismatic when making a deal, but continues to be a prick when he's not doing the deal.**

 **Hopefully you all enjoyed the continuing relationships between the OC and the rest of the Devils. As for Akeno's suggestion...stems from the fact that I was watching Rocky Horror Picture Show the other day. And I think its plausible that Akeno would ask for such a punishment, since it both humiliates Dante and fits in with her sadism/fetishes.**

 **BIG Thanks to those who have left reviews (tad disappointed that last chapter only got 2 but oh well :P) And special thanks goes to _Anime PJ_ and everyone else who is following/favoriting my story. I do this for you guys :)**

 **Oh and Before I forget...Looking for a Beta Reader for This story AND my Daily Life with a Monster Girl story. So if ur interested, please msg me.**

 **As always PLZ REVIEW (no flames)**

 **AND vote on the POLL that is on my PROFILE.**

 **Later :)**


	11. Chp 10 Stray's and Chess

Having finished another amusing contract, this one involved persuading a newly divorced husband to sign over sole custody of the children to his female client, the black haired Devil had been summoned back to the clubhouse, and was unsuprised to discover that his perverted teammate was once again looking like he had just been told that his porn collection had gone up in flames.

"Judging by the forlorn look on your face Hyoudou, not to mention the fact that our master seems to be in a slightly irritated mood, I take it that you somehow managed to make her rethink her decision in turning you into a Devil. Let me guess, you got caught trying to peak in on the Kendo Club again, only this time instead of running like a coward, you tried to worm your way out of it by attempting to place the girls under hypnosis"?

Knowing that Dante could easily knock him out without doing more than raising his hand, and conscious of the fact that Rias was already displeased with him for being friendly with a remarkably cute nun, Issei could only feel a mixed sense of relief and embarrassment as as his crimson haired master surprisingly decided to come to his aid.

"I would be grateful if you didn't give Issei any more ideas on how to use his new abilities, though thankfully the possibility of him being able to do that currently is so low its not even funny".

Ignoring the brunette's slight whimper, though she couldn't tell whether it was because she was drawing attention to his low power levels or the fact that he couldn't fulfill his perverted fantasies, Rias proceeded to bring the black haired Devil up to speed with the current situation.

"As to why he's less than happy right now, I just finished scolding him for interacting with a member of the church. Apparently after I had you go off to take care of another client, Issei made the acquaintance of a nun, who thankfully had no idea that he was a Devil".

Having turned her head to give Issei a look to convey just how disappointed she was in his actions, Rias didnt catch the brief moment when Dante's face morphed from its bored looking expression into something that couldn't only be described as feral. Conscious of the slip, the black haired Devil schooled his features back into his normal persona before he turned his attention to the still fully chastised brunette.

"Congratulations Hyoudou. You have managed to exceed my expectations for how far your stupidity extends. I would have figured even a perverted moron like yourself would have had enough common sense to stay away from anything remotely associated with the Church. Clearly I was wrong".

Despite knowing that Dante only had to wave his hand in order to harm him, not to mention the fact that he had already disappointed his gorgeous master by his misguided, but not regrettable actions, Issei struggled to maintain control over his temper as he defended his actions to the mocking Devil.

"I didn't know Asia was a servant of the church until she told me. How was I supposed to know that a cute girl like her would turn out to be a nun"?

Raising an eyebrow at Issei's attempts to justify what he did, Dante was amused to hear that he wasn't the only one who wished to critize the brunette for his poor choice of action.

"...Perhaps if you weren't imagining what she looked like with her clothes off...you would have been able to tell".

Despite the barb being delivered with her near monotone voice, Koneko's intense glare was enough to convince the gathered Devil's that Dante was not the only one who held Issei in high esteem. Something which managed to cause a different of reactions from the other members of the group.

Issei fought hard to keep himself from breaking down in hysterics, since it was already bad enough that he was being picked on by the foreign born Devil, but the fact that the school's cute mascot also held him in such low esteem almost made him want to cry out loud. Kiba merely shook his head in bemusement at the way in which the two rooks ganged up on the likeable...if somewhat single minded pawn. While Rias merely sighed at the actions of her servants since while she agreed with her rooks to a certain extent, that didnt mean that she approved of their constant mistreatment of her only pawn.

However before she could make her views known, the unmistakenable giggle of her right hand Devil echoed from the door way.

"Fufufufu. As much as I would like to continue watching the amusing spectacle of you two ganging up on poor Issei, I'm afraid that it will have to wait until later".

Walking into the room with her usual serene smile, though Rias was unsuprised to see that it had a little extra warmth when directed towards the other black haired Devil, and doing her best not to laugh at the jealous look Issei was sending at his fellow male, Akeno's welcoming aura soon turned business like as she told her King that their free evening had just been cancelled.

"We've just received word from a high ranking archduke. One of his former servants has been seen entering our territory, and we've been ordered to take care of it".

Nodding her head in thanks to her raven haired queen, Rias turned her attention towards the remaining members of her peerage, and on the whole she wasn't surprised by the reactions of her servants, though she had to admit that she found the expressions on her newest minions to be mildly amusing. While the crimson haired beauty expected Kiba and Koneko to meet this news with determined acceptance, Issei's confused expression revealed that he still didn't know about all the responsibilities his new role as a Devil imposed upon him. Dante on the other seemed to be fully aware of what Akeno's announcement meant, but unlike his teammates, the expression on his face indicated that not only did he know what they were about to do, but that he was also looking forward to the unavoidable bloodshed that was to come.

Seeing no reason to delay their departure, and interested to see how her new rook would perform in combat conditions since she had only seen him use his abilities when directed against her more helpless servant, Rias motioned for her servants to stand in the center of the room so that she could prepare a transportation circle to take them to their destination.

Only Dante hestitated before moving to join the others in the glowing circle, something that was immediately picked up upon by the raven haired beauty, who promptly proceeded to drape her arms around Dante's shoulders, smirking slightly as she felt his body become rigid as he felt her sizeable assets push into his back.

"Theirs no need to be nervous about this little trip. Stay close to me and I'll protect you. Might even get a chance to show you some useful skills if your a good boy".

Scowling at the teasing manner of the ponytailed girl, though he almost found the strength to endure it if only to enjoy the tear filled glare of jealousy that Issei was sending him, Dante disentangled himself from Akeno's grasp before offering his smirking master a pointed glare.

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'll forgoe your little magical carpool, and meet you at the location".

Receiving a nod from his still smiling master, Dante quickly vanished in a swirling cloud of shadows before Akeno could try and prevent his escape.

While his departure caused mixed reactions to be felt from the Gremory group, namely Akeno pouting at the fact that the black haired rook had managed to easily escape her grasp, Rias quickly activated the circle, sending the remaining members of her peerage to join up with her more independent servant.

...

Walking into the seemingly abandoned warehouse with a confidence that was expected of one of her rank, Rias turned to an understandably anxious Issei with a calm, yet serious expression.

"Issei since your still new to all of this, I want you to simply observe your teammates while they do battle with the Stray Devil. Once your body has finished adapting to your new status, then I'll begin the process of training you, but for now your primary task is to learn".

With the slightly creepy atmosphere of the darkened building, Issei silently nodded his head as his eyes searched desperately for the stray Devil they had come to terminate. Seeing his slightly fearful expression, Kiba tried to console the frightened brunette with a reassuring pat on the back.

"Don't worry Issei. Rias wouldn't place you in harms way unless she was fully confident that we could protect. Besides, pretty soon you'll be trained enough to help us out on this little missions, and then you'll discover that their was nothing really to be nervous about".

Doing his best to retrain himself from wiping the cheerful smile off of the supportive blonde's face, Issei was prevented from voicing his own thoughts on his current predicament by the sudden appearance of his shadow using teammate.

"No offense Kiba, but I think our master follows the sink or swim approach when it comes to instructing her new servants when it comes to their new responsibilies. Which isn't a problem if an individual is fully capable of dealing with unexpected circumstances, but when its a person of Hyoudou's caliber, I'm not sure if theirs such a thing as Devil water wings".

Shaking her head with a sigh as Dante decided to yet again mock the capabilities of his teammate, though she had to admit that Dante had a point about her teaching method, Rias was prevented from doing anything more by a sickly sweet voice echoing from the shadows.

"Hehehehe, something smells delicious, but also disgusting. But then again, I've never been one to pass up a free meal. So which one of your tasty morsels wants to be devoured first. How about the one with the crimson hair. Yess...you definitely have enough meat on you to make it worth my while".

Smiling at the fact that their target had decided to reveal itself rather than making their task more difficult by clinging to the shadows, though somewhat disgusted by the stench of rotting flesh that seemed to cling to the stray Devil, Rias quickly adopted a more regal persona as she proudly declared her groups purpose.

"Stray Devil Viser. An order has been given for your extermination. Surrender now and I'll consider making your death quick and painless. What say you"?

As he heard the tell tale sounds of the stay's approach, Issei could only fight the near paralyzing sensation of fear that passed through his body, since this would be the first time he got to safely experience the brutal nature of his new lifestyle. However as their target's upper torso became visible, all thoughts of destroying this creature quickly disappeared as Issei took the time to admire the tantalizing picture in front of him.

Though her lower body was still concealed by shadows, the upper portion was clearly visible, giving the brunette a good look at her large, not to mention uncovered breasts, long silky black hair, and a beautiful face that bore the faintest traces of a mischievous smirk.

Seeing the lustful expression on her pawn's face, Rias quickly moved to slap him on the upside of his head, ignoring the pain filled yelp as she proceeded to explain to him the nature of what they were dealing with.

"Don't be distracted by her human half Issei. That's just a visage to lure her unsuspecting victins in closer so she can easily restrain them. Once you see what she truly look's like, you'll come to regret that you ever stared at her with lust filled eyes".

Scoffing at the crimson Devil's words, the stray ran her hands over her large assets as if to convince the brunette that his master was wrong.

"Now now, theirs no reason why you have to make his last hour on earth unpleasant. He should be happy that he gets to see a lovely vision like myself before I eat him".

Taking a step towards the still wide eyed Issei, the stray Devil formed an amused smirk as the clearly perverted boy took in her full form. While the upper half of her body was that of a gorgeous naked woman, her lower half resembled a gigantic beast, with four legs ending in sharpened talons, and a long snake like tail that casually swayed in mid air.

While Issei stared up in horror at the deceivingly former beautiful woman, Dante merely regarded the stray with a raised eyebrow before he turned his attention to his amused looking master.

"I don't suppose you'll just let me kill this thing quickly instead of using it as a way to inform Hyoudou about the importance of Evil Pieces"?

Fighting the urge to smile at the rare image of the black haired rook offering to make the life's of her peerage easier, Rias shook her head to indicate that she wanted to use this opportunity to instruct Issei about the various abilities of his teammates.

"Thank you for the offer Dante but I'm afraid that would be detrimental in the long run. It's important that Issei gets as much knowledge as he can before he starts battling with the rest of you. Kiba, if you would like to start us off"?

Bowing his head in acknowledgement, Kiba launched himself at the now infuriated stray, moving so fast that it appeared to Issei that he disappeared. Seeing the confused look on her pawn's face, Rias proceeded to explain what was happening.

"Since I used a knight piece to resurrect Kiba, that means his greatest ability, as it is with all Devil's who have been revived with that particular piece, is his speed. When he combines the ability of his piece with that of his exemplary swordsmanship skills, it makes him a very skilled opponent on the battlefield, since few opponents are unable to match his agility".

Watching in awe as the blonde knight effortlessly dodged each of the four legged Devil's attacks only to then deliver a blow with his summoned swords, Issei was almost unaware of the fact that Koneko was calming walking towards the battle without a care in the world.

Noticing the concerned look on his face, Rias watched with slight interest as Viser's front forelegs coming dangerously close to squashing her white haired servant, before she turned her attention back to Issei with a reassuring smile.

"Koneko's piece differs from that of the knight in several key areas. Unlike Kiba who primarily relies on his piece's ability to either dodge, or wear down his opponent, Koneko.."

At this point Issei gave out a cry of horror as he watched the white haired loli get crushed by the stray Devil's foot, only to be quickly silenced as the monstrous hybrid was thrown onto it's back by the emotionless girl.

Chuckling at the gobsmacked expression on the brunette's face, Rias continued her lecture from where she left off.

"As you can see, Koneko possesses greatly enhanced strength and durability courtesy of the fact that her evil piece was a rook. Which coincidentally was the same piece I used to reincarnate Dante into a Devil. Though from what I've seen, he prefers to rely upon his natural abilities rather than those he recently gained".

Having been transfixed by the unimaginable sight of a small girl like Koneko going toe to toe with a monster that was nearly 7 timers her size, Issei almost didn't process what he was being told about the more vindictive rook. But once he did, he stared at Rias with an almost pleading look as he vainly tried to cling to the belief that what he heard wasn't true.

"Please tell me your joking. You mean to tell me that not only can that vindictive bas...I mean Devil, create things out of shadow, but he can also go head to head with a monster like that and survive without so much as a scratch"?

Receiving a nod from his visibly amused master, Issei struggled to keep himself from flinching as the object of his fears decided to shoot him a predatory smirk.

"Theirs no reason to worry Hyoudou. As long as you and I are apart of the same peerage, than you needn't worry about me turning on you. That isn't to say I'll hold back on my usual disciplinary methods if you continue with your usual idiocy, but unlike what Koneko is doing to that Stray, you'll have a fairly descent chance of recovery".

Taking a moment to enjoy the fearful expression on the brunette's face, Dante briefly turned his gaze to his watching master before he refocused his attention towards the combatting Devils.

"Seeing as how you've already let blondie and the midget have their fun with the deformed creature, I don't suppose you'll let me have a turn in showcasing my abilities. I promise that I'll leave the killing blow to either you or Akeno, but I'm getting bored just standing here listening to your attempts to educate Hyoudou on the facts of his new circumstances".

Frowning in consideration since it had been her intent to let Akeno be the one to incapacitate the stray Devil before she delivered the finishing blow, Rias was slightly surprised when her violet eyed queen, whose penchant for tormenting her opponents was well known within certain circles, willingly allowed her black haired teammate to take her place.

"Fufufufu. I think Rias that this would be an excellent opportunity to test just how skilled your new rook is. I for one am interested to see if his confident attitude can be backed up by any relevant skills he may possess".

Nodding her head in acceptance at her queen's reasoning, since she too was intrigued to discover just how skilled her new rook could be, Rias turned to give Dante permission to get involved in the battle, only to discover to her annoyance that the black haired Devil was already calmly making his way towards the bleeding, but still deadly monster.

Despite the pain she felt from the numerous wounds that had been inflicted by the agile swordsman and the petite brawler, who mercifully broke off their attack when they saw their comrade enter the field, Viser couldn't help but give a wheezing laugh at the approaching Devil, thinking that she would gain the satisfaction of killing an overly confident boy.

"That's right boy. No need to rush your Death. Savior these last moments of your life before I dev..ARGHHHH".

Having grown tired of the monstrous hybrid's condescending tone, the black haired Devil raised his hand, uncaring that the rest of the Gremory group were staring with mixed expression of fascination and admiration at the sudden display of his abilities. With each of it's taloned feat skewered by a series of pikes rising from the floor, and finding that no matter how much she tried her hands simply passed through the poles as if their was nothing there to grab, Viser lashed out with her tail at the slowly approaching Devil, only to cry out in pain as she felt another pike pierce her body. Only this time instead of merely keeping her in place, this conjured pillar tore the whip like appendage from the stray's body, causing Viser to shriek in pain as her new tormentor got closer to his victim.

"Wow. That looked like it realllly hurt".

Smirking at the venoumous glare he was receiving from the wounded hybrid, Dante called upon the now swirling shadows to form multiple coils of barbed wire, enjoying the look of painful anguish that came over Viser's face as she experienced the sensation of his sharpened metal digging into her flesh as they tightly coiled around her.

"Oh, now hang on. That looked like it hurt a lot more".

Ignoring the fact that he was now stepping into a growing pool of the stray's blood, Dante looked at the fearful hybrid with mocking consideration.

"So, lets try and clear this up. Ok Viser? What hurts more? A"?

At this the stray felt the painful sensation of another pike stabbing through her body. This one going right through the underbelly of her lower half.

"Or B"?

Waving a new coil of wire towards the stray Devil, directing it to wrap around the section where the human looking half connected with the bestial lower half, Dante couldn't fight the grin that was forming on his face as he listened to the painful groans of his victim.

"Pike...or Wire"?

Expierencing the agonizing sensation of her body being mutilated by this sadistic insect, Viser idly felt her bulk collapse to the floor, prevented from moving by the conjured restraints that had pierced her flesh. Muttering to herself in anger, the stray devil chocked out a painful grunt as she felt herself being lifted by her neck until she was at eye level with the black haired Devil, who merely smirked at her wide eyed expression as he formed a swirling ball of shadow into a deadly looking scythe.

However before Dante could decide just where to use his new weapon, his master decided to intervene.

"Dante that is enough. If you continue what your doing, Issei is going to faint, and Akeno will do something that will prevent her from helping me to continue my lecture. So unless you want the important responsibility of instructing Issei about the importance of the evil piece system, then I suggest you stop what your doing".

Scowling at the commanding tone of his master, Dante nonetheless waved his hand to vanish his conjured weapon before turning his back on the stray, giving him a pefect view of the amusing spectacle of a frightfully pale brunette, who looked like he was deciding whether to be sick or to black out, as well as the slightly irritating expression of the busty queen, whose flushed face and lustful eyes indicated that she was either within an inch of either fainting from excitement, or possibly launching herself at the annoyed looking Devil.

Giving a brief nod of acceptance to the buxom red head, Dante silently moved to join his teammates, being sure to use his fellow rook as a buffer between himself and the widely grinning Akeno.

"My my. That certainty was an impressive performance you did for us Dante. Especially those restraints of yours. A girl can get all kinds of ideas just by watching you work. I hope that sometime in the future, me and you can enjoy a session like that".

Raising an eyebrow at the raven haired girl's rather forward matter, and ignoring the jealous glare that was being sent his way courtesy of the perverted brunette, Dante turned his attention to his fellow rook, relieved that unlike her more curvy teammate, Konkeo's face remained expressionless.

"Tell me, is she always like this? Or is this just because she enjoys teasing me"?

Turning towards the black haired devil with a ghost of a smirk, Koneko delivered her one word verdict.

"Both".

Taking a moment to chuckle to herself at the amusing scene of her new servant further integrating himself within her peerage, Rias nodded towards the violet eyed beauty that she could have fun with the stray as she continued to lecture a now frightful Issei about the remaining types of evil pieces.

"Now unlike a rook, a knight, or a bishop piece, which grants it's user greatly enhanced magical abilities, a queen is not limited to one set of abilities, and it is because of that that many consider the queen to be the most powerful piece of the game".

Watching the pony tailed girl calmly approach the heavily bleeding monster, Issei watched with horrid fascination as Akeno extended her hand upwards, causing a bolt of lightning to appear and strike the stricken hybrid, who shrieked in pain as the electricity travelled through her body.

"My you certainily have a pair of lungs on you. I wonder if you can scream even louder if I increase the voltage".

Watching her queen torture the stray with a small smile of amusement, Rias continued to explain the specific traits of Akeno's evil piece.

"Because the queen has the ability to use the characteristics of a rook, a knight, or a bishop, though she tends to use that trait more than the other two, Akeno is exceptionally verstailie when it comes to combat".

Notcing that her two new servants were starring at the raven haired queen with mixtures of horrified and curious glances, Rias quickly sought to ease their worries lest they begin to worry that Akeno might turn the full extent of her power on them if she became upset.

"Not to worry you 2. While Akeno is considered to be the ultimate sadist, she is extremely kind to her friends and allies, so you have nothing to worry about. Though considering your earlier display Dante, she might be a tad more aggressive in her teasing towards you since she's never had someone to match her in brutality. I for one can't decide if I should be pleased by this develop, or worried about it".

Smiling at the developing scowl that was forming her rook's face, Rias walked over to the now smoldering stray, slightly impressed that it still managed to remain conscious despite the excruciating pain in must be in.

"Stray Devil Viser, do you have anything to say before your sentence is carried out"?

Despite the agony it caused her, Viser managed to turn her head so that her remaining eye could stare directly at the regal looking heiress.

"Killlll meee".

Forming a sphere of crimson energy in her hand, Rias gave the begging creature a single nod before she mercifully condemned it to oblivion.

"Very well".

The last coherent emotion Viser had as her body was consumed by the destructive energy of the buxom beauty, was that of relief since she would no longer have to suffer at the hands of the pair of black haired sadists.

Seeing that their was no trace of the former Devil left behind, Rias turned towards her servants with a pleased smile, fully intending to praise them for their efforts in this little hunt.

"Excellent work everyone. I was pleased to see that you all have been taking your training seriously, even if our recently deceased target was far below us in terms of strength. Would also like to take the time to acknowledge the abilities of one of our newest team members, who I think managed to surprise us all with his earlier display".

Acknowledging the red head's praise with a slight incline of his head, the black haired Devil managed to surprise everyone by adjusting his usual disinterested tone into something that vaguely resembled respect.

"I don't suppose that it would be possible to learn to be able to do something like you and Akeno just did? While I realize that the power of destruction is a familial trait, am I wrong in assuming that their is a more common version of that power"?

Hiding the surprise she felt at discovering that her new rook was somehow knowledgeable about her families abilities, Rias nevertheless answered the usually mocking Devil's question, since it was her obligation to not only protect her servants, but to also allow them to develop their abilities to their fullest extent so that they could better server their master.

"Well, their is the option of using your demonic energy to such an effect, but its no where near as powerful, and it takes a lot of power to fuel, and since your neither a bishop or queen, you'll find your power reserves quickly depleted if your solely relied on that method in combat".

Pleased to see that Dante accepted this bit of information with a determined nod, indicating that he understood the limitations but was not willing to give up on them, Rias had to keep herself from smirking as she listed the more plausible route for the black haired Devil to increase his already impressive set of abilities.

"As for learning to summon lighting, it is easier to learn if one has the patience for it. I confess that it isn't a specialty of mine, but I'm sure if you ask Akeno nicely, she might be willing to take you under her wing".

Smiling at the chance of having some alone time with the now blank faced Devil, Akeno readily gave her approval for such an opportunity.

"Oh more than willing Rias. After all, it is my duty to ensure that all of your servants are at their best, so it would be my pleasure in ensuring that Dante becomes even more formidable than he already is".

Smiling at her enthusiastic queen, Rias waited to see how her black haired rook would respond to this offer, since it would give a good indication of just how serious he was about increasing his power.

Deciding that the benefits of learning a new skill just barely outweighed the fact that he would have to spend alone time with the rather forward girl, Dante gave a curt nod of acceptance to show that he agreed with the offer.

Pleased with his answer, the crimson haired Devil signaled to her servants that it was time to go, but as she started to make her way out of the bloody warehouse, Issei's pleading voice rang out from behind her.

"Umm...Madame President. You didn't say what piece I was. Since I know that you already have a queen and two rooks, does that mean I'm a bishop or a knight"?

Looking at the brunette with a gaze that could almost be described as dismissive, Rias told him.

"No Issei. The position you have in my peerage is that of the pawn".

 **And that's another Chapter done.**

 **This chapter was a tad difficult to write (i.e. I wrote a different beginning, was pleased with it, but didn't really flow with the rest of the story. But I think it turned out pretty good all things considered.**

 **Got to see more of Dante's abilities, and also how he deals with opponents who annoy the hell out of him (Hopefully you all enjoyed his dialogue when fighting the stray...Idea came to me after watching the film where John DiMaggio does the voice of the clown prince of crime)**

 **More of Dante's fighting abilities will be showed off soon, since I have no intention to leave him as a brawler like Koneko. Plus the fact that with the stray devil...it was already defeated so he was just toying with it. As for the willingness to learn how to use lighting in battle, apart from some specific abilities (i.e. Regeneration, Power of Destruction, and to a lesser extent senjutsu) the series shows that any Devil can learn how to use their energy as a weapon, the only difference being concentration, stamina, and ability. So I think its within the realm of possibility for Dante to learn how to use lightening. It has nothing to do with the fact that I am a fan of various successful Sith Lords :P**

 **As for the developing relationships...well...I think we can all agree that Akeno would be attracted to someone that likes to play with his victims.**

 **And since the series tends to have Issei gain more members for his harem the more powerful het gets, Think its safe to say that it could work for another character.**

 **Next chapter will see how Dante interacts with the other members of the peerage, thinking either Kiba or Koneko, or mybe both. And of course will see the introduction of everyone's favorite insane excorist, and perhaps the possibility of having Issei's 3rd meeting with Asia interrupted by both his killer and his teammate.**

 **As always, REVIEWS ARE A MUST. Vote for the choice of familiar in my poll, and til next time**


	12. Chp 11 Swords and Reflections

Doing her best not to daydream as she watched her newest club members go through a set of highly advanced katas, Murayama turned to face her pink haired comrade, who like the rest of assembled members of the previously all female club, was staring at the sword swinging males in a manner that was eerily similar to the accursed trio.

"Not that I have a problem with it, but care to tell me why our newest members are currently warming up for a practice duel? Cause the last time I checked, they weren't supposed to duel each other until they've successfully completed the club's safety exercises".

Flashing her friend an embarrassed smile that was oddly reminiscent of how the perverts looked after being caught, Katase quickly proceeded to explain the highly entertaining spectacle to the leader of the Kendo Club.

"Well...since we've already established that Dante isn't a beginner when it comes to the art of sword fighting, not to mention that it's a widely known fact that Kiba is already well versed in the forms of dueling, the girls voted that instead of having them waste their time completing the mandatory written tests and safety drills, it would be far more entertaining...I mean efficient, to have them face off against each other in a friendly match".

Watching the hakama wearing blonde male rapidly, yet flawlessly perform a series of highly advanced over head strikes, Murayama couldn't help but chastise herself for continuing to uphold the club's gender specific membership rules ever since she discovered that one of the academy's highly sought after males was a dedicated student of the sword.

"You know its truly a pity that Kiba wasn't like Dante when he first applied to join our club. I remember that our previous leaders wanted to over turn the policy, but since nearly all of the male applicants at the time only wanted to join because they had perverted thoughts about us, they refused him. And since Kiba is such a perfect gentleman, he merely accepted their rejection with good grace, though I think that if he tried to fight their decision, he would have been accepted.

Since the same though had crossed her mind, Katase merely nodded her head in agreement before she cast her admiring gaze towards the other male member of their club, taking note of not only how effortlessly he controlled his blade with a series of fluid movement, but also how attractive he was in the black colored robes that helped to emphasize his uniqueness within the club.

 **"Y** ou have a point their. Thankfully our other new member takes a more..forceful approach when it comes to obtaining what he wants. And a good thing too, because I think it would have been a waste to reject such handso...I mean skilled individual from joining our club. I'm sure that if we ask him nicely, he might be persuaded to teach us more advanced techniques, cause it's quite obvious he's a talented swordsman".

Blushing at the double meaning of the pinkette's words, for the idea had crossed her mind ever since she became aware of Dante's talents, Murayama was prevented from admonishing her friend by the sudden excited whisperings of the gathered club members.

"Oh boy their gonna start"

"Who do you think is going to win"

"We will because we get to see two hot boys fight each other"

Turning her head in the direction of her two newest members, the brunette leader reaised that the two boys had finished their warming up exercises, and were now facing each other with their swords in the ready position. Doing her best to retain the proper attitude of a dignified club leader, even if she was desperately trying to reign in her excitement at being able to witness the two handsome males fight each other, Murayama and quickly proceeded to explain the rules for the developing match.

"Ok guys, I know your both highly skilled in our art, but it is my responsibility as club leader to go over the rules of this match before you begin. The first person to score 3 hits on his opponent is the winner, and since you both lack protective headgear, your not allowed to aim for your opponent's head unless you want to be disqualified. Also, if your weapon is forced out of your hand, that means you've lost the duel. Now do either you have any problems with these rules before you begin"?

Receiving a nod from the smiling blonde to confirm that he agreed with her terms, Murayama turned to face the other opponent of the match, only to discover that instead of his usual confident smirk, Dante had a thoughtful expression on his face as he mulled over the rules of engagement.

"Just for curiosity sake, but would it be possible to amend the rule that covers the amount of points it takes to achieve victory? Because I don't know about you, but I think we can make this a little more interesting if we choose a far more difficult number".

Conscious of the excited whispering's of the club, and well aware of her own rising curisoity, the brunette adopted thoughtful expression as she considered the foreign boy's request.

"Mmmm...I don't see why not. So long as your dueling partner agrees to it, I have no problem with this alteration. Provided of course you choose a number that is actually obtainable without having to spend the rest of the afternoon trying to reach it ".

Flashing an appreciative smile towards the now blushing club leader, Dante turned his attention towards his opponent, not bothering to hide the developing smirk that was spreading across his face as he stared at the inquisitive expression of his fellow Devil.

"What do you say Kiba? First person to score a SINGLE hit is the victor. If it's too advanced for you, I suppose we can make it so its the best of two hits".

Ignoring the excited squealing of his fan girls, something that had become second nature to him ever since he entered puberty, Kiba stared at his fellow Devil with a look of amusement on his normally friendly face.

"On the contrary Dante, I was about to extend that same offer to you myself. But since you appear to be eager to finish this duel as quickly as possible, then I have no complaints for changing the rules of our match. That is of course if Ms. Katase and Ms Murayama agree to these conditions, since it is their club after all".

Doing his best not to laugh at the almost pitiful way in which the girl's hurried to show that they agreed with the blonde knight's proposal, Dante turned his attention back to the upcoming fight, taking the time to go over what he already knew about his opponent before their match started, and how this would effect his own combat strategy. While he was fully aware that both of them would have to hold back a good portion of their abilities so that they could pass themselves off as humans, albeit gifted ones, Dante knew that the innate skills of their evil pieces would still heavily influence their individual combat styles, thus making it possible to form some kind of plan on how to exploit his opponent's weaknesses.

 ** _"S_** _ince Blondie's a knight, that means he's more likely to rely on tactis that primarily focus on speed and agility, rather than strength which has become my primary advantage. However, since I'm still adapting my fighting style to properly meld with my new found abilities, I'm at a bit of a disadvantage since Kiba's had years to develop fighting skills that are well suited to his evil piece. Which means that my only hope for victory lies in close quarter combat, where is speed advantage is nulliefed by my superior strength"._

Smirking at his opponent, who no doubt was also mentally going over the assumed strength's and weaknesses of his fellow Devil, Dante merely waited for the signal to begin what he hoped would become a regular distraction from his otherwise irritating life as a servant.

"Since both of you agree to the revised terms, you can begin".

Dipping his head to acknowledge the brunette's command, Dante held his bokken in front of him as he waited for Kiba to make the first move. He didn't have to wait long, and even though they had agreed before hand to limit their abilities before hand, Dante was still mildly impressed by how fast Kiba was moving, and it was only by quickly raising his own weapon that he was able to block his agile opponent's blow, causing the blonde Devil to stare at him in slight bewilderment..

Smirking at the expression on his opponent's face, Dante quickly utilized his greater strength to push the slightly shocked knight back a few steps before swiftly following up his repulse with an attack of his own. And even though Kiba was able to catch the blow, though he was hard pressed to keep his sword more than a couple of inches from his torso, Dante could tell that he managed to catch the blonde Devil off guard, not only by the unexpected swiftness of the attack, but by the amount of power put behind it.

Judging that his current position was untenable due to the superior strength of his opponent, Kiba quickly jumped back in order to recreate an opportunity that would allow him to utilize his superior speed. However as he launched himself at the waiting Devil, intending to launch a strike at his unguarded knee, the blonde knight was surprised by when his blade was intercepted at the last second by his black haired opponent. And while normally he would have been able to quickly recover from that attack and launch a second one, Kiba once again found his own blade being pushed towards his body.

' _Even though I'm his superior when it comes to agility, Dante's able to catch my blade before it delivers the finish blow, which means that our fight quickly becomes a matter of strength, and even if I'm a stronger than the average human, as a rook Dante has me beat if it comes to a trial of strength. My only hope is to keep him off balance in the hopes that he'll make a mistake._ _This is going to be tougher than I thought, but still an enjoyable experience. It's been a while since I've face an opponent who was able to give me a challenge, and even if I loose, I can always learn from the experience and emerge even stronger'._

Determination now filling him as he prepared himself to give it his all, and doing his best to tune out the cheers that were springing not only from the Kendo Club but also the crowd of onlookers who somehow discovered the duel between the academy's white and dark knight, Kiba quickly disengaged from his opponent, enjoying the short breather his move have granted him before resuming his attack.

Feigning an attack to the rook's left side, Kiba quickly changed the direction of his attack, hoping to catch Dante off guard as he moved to block a blow that would in fact be delivered to his more exposed sight. Surprisingly, the black haired Devil was able to maneuverer his sword in a manner that caught the knight's weapon before he struck him, but feeling that he had stumbled upon a way in which to achieve victory, Kiba decided to continue this strategy of feinting before quickly moving to strike a blow.

Quickly catching on to the change of his opponent's tactics, Dante adjusted his own accordingly, since he had come to realize that while he was able to act fast enough to respond to Kiba's attacks, he was too slow to launch his own attacks without leaving himself open for a counter maneruvre, thus the only way to achieve victory would be to either force Kiba into a position where he couldn't utilize his superior agility, or to wear down his opponent by putting more force into his counter blows, thus causing the knight to expend more energy than he could afford.

While the fight between the two Devil's raged, with Kiba being constantly forced to adjust his attacks to compensate for his opponent's superior strength, while Dante did his best to ensure that Kiba was constantly on the defensive in order to negate his speed advantage, an increasingly excited crowd set about placing wagers on which one of the combatants would emerge victorious".

"Dude...20 bucks says Inumbro will kick the shit out of the blonde prince of Kuoh".

"I'll take that bet. Even though he's putting up a good fight, a foreginer can't stand up to Japanese swordsman".

"I don't know guys. Dante has a bit of a mean streak to him, and I don't think Kiba ever had to face someone who had the skills AND the desire to harm him".

Doing her best to contain the excitement she felt as she watched the two newest member's of the club rapidly strike at each other, Katase gave her brunette superior a sly glance as she tried to decided which one of the two equally impressive duelists would win the match.

"I don't suppose you want to place a wager as well Mura? Even though those two appear to be equally matched, you and I both know that in duel's like, it only takes one little mistakes to determine whether an opponent is going to win the match, or lose it. And since those two have been at it for a while now, I think its only a matter of time before one of them slip up".

Agreeing with her pink haired subordinate, even though she felt it was unseemly for the leader of a club to purposefully favor one of its members over another, Murayama was prevented from answering the smiling pinkette by the sudden cheering of the crowd. Expecting to see either the agile blonde or the relentless foreigner standing above their defeated opponent, the leader of the Kendo club was surprised to see that neither of them had won the duel, as both of them had shockingly been able to deliver a hit towards an unprotective part of their opponents body at the same time.

Ignoring the wooden sword that was currently being pressed into his side while keeping his own weapon against his opponent's shoulder, the black haired Devil gave the blonde knight a slight nod to demonstrate his genuine respect for his teammate's skills, only to have it quickly returned as a now smiling Kiba bowed at the waist to his equally skilled opponent.

However before they could lend words to their mutual shows of respect, though Kiba suspected that Dante would combine his word's of courtesy with a demand for a rematch, of the two Devils quickly found themselves swamped by the remaining members of the Kendo club, who rapidly began to express their admiration for the spectacle they had just witnessed.

"Oh My god that was amazing"

"Did you see how fast they were moving"?

"I wonder if their swordsmanship extends to other useful abilities"

"Dante and Kiba shipping forever"

Doing her best not to laugh at the highly amusing spectacle of the two boy's being mobbed by a horde of energetic girls, Muryama approached her newest members with a look of approval on her face.

"That was terrific work you two. I can honestly say I've never would have expected the newest member's of the club to put on such an incredible display of swordsmanship in my life. With you two helping to train the girls in more advanced techniques. I think we'll actually have a chance to win the national competition this year".

Ignoring the slightly confused expressions of the two boys, the brunette quickily turned around to face her teammates, who were all eagerly staring at the male duo with looks that would have given the perverted trio a run for their money.

"Ok girls listen up. Thanks to our newest members, we're going to be training twice as hard as we normally do. Within a month, I want you all to be able to match not only the speed, but also the level of endurance these two possess. And to ensure that you're properly motivated, I should tell you that the first one to reach this goal will be paired with either of them in the upcoming tournament. So train hard".

Doing his best to hide the annoyance he felt at once again having a decision made for him without his input, Dante was about to voice his dissatisfaction with the brunette's decision when the cheerful voice of his fellow Devil interrupted his chain of thought.

"Well I must say, I can't recall the last time I faced an opponent that was able to fight me to a stand still. Your instructor must have been exceptionally skilled in teaching you the ways of the sword if your able to quickly adapt to styles you haven't faced before. I don't suppose you can tell me who you trained you? Because I wouldn't mind losing to the person who managed to turn you into a such a capable opponent."

Even though he sensed that Kiba had asked the question without any malicious intent behind it, Dante couldn't help but shoot the blonde knight a venoumous glare. And even though he was aware of the consquences of what would happen if he resorted to using his more violent ways of expressing his displeasure in public , it was only with the greatest of will power that the black haired Devil resisted the impulse to treat his fellow servant in the same manner that he dealt with Issei's stupidity.

"Unfortunately, my sister is in no condition to take on another pupil. And if you know whats good for you, you'll never bring this up again".

Suprised as he was by the rook's response, Kiba sensed that it would be unwise to ask further questions since he suspected that like him, Dante would react violently if he was forced to dredge up memories of his past. Understanding his fellow Devil in a way that nobody else could, and knowing that any direct apology would only serve to sour the cordial relationship that was slowly developing between the two of them, Kiba proceeded to do the only thing that could possibly alleviate Dante's temper, and that was shift the entirety of their fan club onto himself.

 **"** It would be my pleasure to help you all improve your skills as swordsman, or swordswoman as the case maybe. In fact why don't we start now and go through some advanced opening kata's that my old master taught me when I was finished learning the basics? I gurantee that you'll improve in no time. Dante, while your more than welcome to stick around, I feel I should tell you that these execerises are for those who tend to favor speed over strength, so I don't think you'll be able to get anything out of them. So if you want, you can go, and I'll see you tomorrow".

Raising an eyebrow at the blonde's not so subtle attempt to apologize for unknowingly prying into his past, Dante nevertheless excepted the offer with a slight nod of his head, ensuring that an apologetic expression was firmly set upon his face as he sought to placate the visibly disappointed group of sword wielding females.

"Now now. Theirs no reason for you to get upset. Kiba is probably more suited to group instruction than I am. However at a later date I would be happy to teach any of you on an individual basis, or even as pairs. Though I confess I don't have too much experienced when it comes to dealing with two aggressive females at the same time, but I'm sure it will prove to be an interesting learning experience for all of us".

Smiling innocently as his words had the intended reaction of causing the now blushing sword wielding females to forget his departure, Dante quickly left his fellow Devil to the mercy of their ever growing crowd of fans, choosing to make his escape by taking the path that led through the forest that had always remained on the edge of the school grounds.

Enjoying his newfound solitude since it gave him the opportunity to freely use his powers without attracting unwanted attention, and checking to ensure that he hadn't been followed into the now darkening woods, Dante closed his eye's as he focused on using his shadow conjuring abilities for the practical purpose of transforming his black kendo robes into his usual black overcoat and pants before giving physical form to the emotions that always always threatened to consume him every time he was forced to speak about his family.

Judging that he was deep enough in the forest to avoid evidence of his therapudic session from coming to light until the morning, Dante willed the shadows to respond to his command, and watched impassively as one tree after another was reduced to splinters by the multitudes of his shadow like tendrils.

Having rid himself of a good portion of his rage, not that it would ever completely fade, and to be honest he wasn't sure if he wanted it to, the black haired Devil reached into his shirt for the sole memento he had left that served to remind him that he had once been a normal cheerful child before the actions of others shaped him into the violent being he was today. Holding the crudely forged, but immensely precious locket in his hand, Dante opened it with his finger to witness the only thing that was able to bring a genuine, if slightly melancholy, smile to his face.

"Meowwww".

Looking up from his treasured possession, the no previously reflecting Devil found himself staring into a pair of questioning hazel eyes that had, despite his best efforts, become a regular fixture in his life. And while he would never admit to anyone since he was loath to admit it to even himself, he had slowly started to welcome the sole being in his life who demanded nothing of him except the occasional scratch behind the ears.

"Oh its you. You know, I'm not sure its true for all cats, but you have impeccable timing. If you had arrived here just a little earlier, it is more than likely that you would have shared the fate of those trees".

Seeing that his black furred companion was interested in surveying the damage he caused, Dante mindlessly extended his hand to scratch behind the feline's ears, adopting a slightly pensive expression as he felt his hazel eyed acquaintance purr beneath his fingertips.

"Not that I expect you to understand, even if you sometimes give me the odd feeling that you do understand what I'm saying, but their is something gratifying in being able to express your more turbulent emotions in a violent manner".

Feeling the purring cat give a nod to his musing, Dante was caught off guard when the feline suddenly jumped into his lap, and was now lightly batting at the locket that resting on his upper leg. Seeing now harm in satisfying the curiosity of his suddenly invasive companion, the black haired Devil carefully held the open locket so that they both could see it's contents.

"I hope you appreciate the significance of what I'm showing you cat. You're the only one who gets to see any evidence of a time when I was actually happy and not pretending to be. It truly is a great honor cat. So you better be grateful".

"Nyah".

Chuckling a bit at the indiginant, yet oddly agreeable sound of his companion, Dante proceeded to explain to the hazel eyed feline just what she was looking at.

"That smiling, gangly looking 12 year old is my older brother Argento. He was always using his powers to pull pranks on the members of our villiage, not that he ever managed to pull one over on the women of my family, but that never stopped him from trying. That smirking black haired girl on his right is our older sister Adrienne, who was always trying to learn new ways on how to use our natural abilities for combative purposes. She's the one who taught me how to use a sword, and even though her methods were at times brutal, I could tell that she genuinely enjoyed our time together".

Taking a moment to reflect on those happy bygone days, Dante missed the saddened, yet empathetic look that appeared over the feline's face as he explained his past relationship with his siblings before moving onto the other 3 figures in the portrait.

"The tall regal looking woman with shoulder length black is my mother. And though you wouldn't guess it at first glance, but beneath that stern expression was a woman who would do anything for children, even if she had the annoying tendency to be overly protective of me since I was her youngest child at the time. And the goofy looking guy with his arm around her shoulders is my father, who despite his somewhat foolish appearance, nevertheless had a will of steel when it came to looking after the well being of his family. And of course, that grinning boy on his shoulders is m..".

 _I'M ON THE HIGGGGHHH WAYYY TO HELLL_

 _HIIIIGH WAY TO HELLL_

Scowling at the unforeseen interruption of his alone time, but knowing that he didn't have the option of ignoring it since his master would make it her life's mission to properly punish him for his attempt at rebellion, the black haired Devil quickly hid the now closed locked under his clothes before he reluctantly answered the most visible example of his servitude.

"Yes Rias what is it"?

...

Despite the intial joy he felt at completing his first solo mission , Issei desperately wished that he had swallowed his pride and had accepted his master's offer of having something accompany him. When he was told that he was being sent to deal with a client without supervision, the brunette had been excited, and even though he was forced to use his bike to get to the client's location, he bore it with good spiritis since he felt that he was finally making noticeable progress towards achieving his dream of assembling a harem.

However as soon as he got to the client's house, things had begun to go wrong for him. His client's mutilated body had been the first sign that something had gone seriously wrong with his contract collecting, but as he was to discover, he had worse problems to deal with when he finally came face to face with the person responsible for this gruesome crime.

"Do you like what I've done with the place little Devil? I didn't have much time to prepare it for you, but since your going to be dead soon, I didn't see the need to put in the effort. A shitty Devil like you should be happy enough that I, the boy priest Freed Sellzen, was the one to end your shitty existence ".

Despite the fear he felt for being in close proximity with the clearly psychotic priest, Issei couldn't help voicing his disgust with what the deranged human had done.

"How could you have done something like this? I thought members of the Church only went after Devils and monsters. But that guy was only human".

His question only served to amuse the red eyed boy, who promptly broke down into a fit of hysterics.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA. Are you kidding me with this? A shitty Devil like you is actually lecturing me on morals. Oh man this is too funny".

Recovering his composure with a speed that was highly unnatural, Freed began to explain to the terrified Issei his twisted reasoning for butchering the Devil summoning human.

"You see shitty Devil, your kind is only able to exist because you pray on the weaknesses of humans, therefore when a human summons you to make a deal, they are in fact betraying the rest of humiaty by allowing scum sucking parasites like yourself to get stronger. So since this guy was willing to make a deal with a Devil, that means he forfeited any rights to continue living".

Seeing that his explanation was producing a look of disgust on the brunette's face, Freed bowed his head in mock apology as he pulled from his coat a deadly looking blade and gun.

"Oh but I forget that theirs no real reason to explain this all to you since your about to be dead in the next few seconds. Or perhaps I'll extend your suffering since you made me waste my time by explainging to you my methods. Either way, this is your last night on earth shitty Devil".

Moving with a speed that should have been impossible for a mere human, Freed quickly slashed at Issei's legs with the intention of cutting them off, but the brunette Devil was able to jump out of the way at the last second, though he was unable to prevent his knee from being sliced into.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. You have an amusing desire to to live Devil scum. But don't worry, once I'm done with you, your going to be begging for me to end your existence, and being the merciful exorcist that I am, I may even grant you your request".

Grinning mannically as he aimed his pistol at the limping Devil, the crazed priest was prevented from firing by the horrifed gasping of his partner.

"Ah if it isnt my new assistant. Did you finish casting the barrier so we can continue our business in peace"?

Instead of answering him, the blonde nun looked on the grissly scene in front of her with a developing expression of horror, only to find the courage to speak as she stared wide eyed at the similarily shocked Issei.

"Father Freed, wh..what is this? I..I thought we were here to help someone seek the lord's forgiveness, not to.."

Sighing at Asia's obvious timidity, Freed adopted a look of patinece as he proceeded to explain the true purpose for their visist.

"Your new at this, so it's somewhat understandable if your dont fully grasp the importance of our mission. This scumbag" Here he pointed his sword at the wall. "Is responsible for the continued survival of such insects like the shitty Devil over there. So it is our holy duty to ensure that all those who deal with the forces are hell are punished. That being said, I think you just helped me make up my mind about something"

Aiming the pistol at the Devil, Freed was somewhat surprised when the previosuly timid nun decided to user her body to shield the limping Devil from harm.

"Noo.. I wont let yoyu hurt him. Even if he is a Devil, Issei is a kind hearted boy and I won't let you..gahhh"

Staring with disgust as he witnseed the nun collapse to the ground after being smacked in the face, Freed turned towards the horrified Devil with an apologetic look.

"Can you excuse us one moment Devil Scum? I'll be with you in just a sec, right after I finish dealing with my troublesome assitnat".

Flashing the schocked brunette a grin, Freed quickly turned back to the frightened blonde, teasingly running his blade around the torn portions of her clothing that gave a him a decsent look at her developing chest.

"Hmmm...It's a shame that our superiors gave me strict orders not to kill you Sister. Otherwise I'd stick this blade right into your heart for daring to stick up for a Devil. However there's nothing to prevent me from having a bit of fun with you, and since you seem to care about this Devil, I'll even do something nice for him and let him watch as I test just how pure a maiden you are".

Eye's widening in shock, and doing her best not to shiver in frightened disgust as she felt the crazed priest's blade play with her bra strap, Asia prayed for her ordeal to be over quickly, and that Issei's life would be spared. For even though he was a Devil, the blonde nun couldn't bring herself to hate the kind hearted boy who not only helped her when no one else would, but also treated her like a normal girl instead of a holy idol.

However just as she expected that there was nothing to prevent the crazed excorist from having his way with her body before he decided to kill the first person who treated her like a normal girl instead of a holy idol, a slightly mocking voice that seem to spring from the shadows themselves echoed around the room. Causing the brunette Devil to adopt a look of relief, while Freed lost his usual crazed expression, only to replace it with a look that could only be described as euphoric.

"You know Hyoudou, if your going to keep walking into potentially lethal situations, the least you could do is inform me before hand since I always seem to be in the middle of something when I get the call to come save your ass. I mean their I was, enjoying a nice relaxing conversation after having just finished a rigorous sparring session with our fellow Devil, when our master calls to tell me that your in trouble again. And I don't know about you, but I'm getting sick and tired of having to come to your rescue because you were stupid enough to ignore the obvious signs of danger".

And although he did his best to ignore the feelings of embarrassment that stemmed from the casual, yet truthfull, description of the nature of their somewhat brutal relationship, Issei could only give a sigh of relief as his black haired comrade decided to make himself known by materializing from the shadows, looking at the brunette with a slightly annoyed look before he turned his narrowed gaze to the flamboyant exorcist and the dishelved nun.

"Hello Freed".

 **And I think that's enough for. Leaving you a nice cliff hangar to get you all interested in what happens next :P**

 **Apologises for how long this took. Rewrite of another story, and other issues in my life have taken up good amounts of my time, but since Everyone prefers long chapters to short ones (apologies if I cant do multiple lengthy chapters of a story in a day by day basis like some people...tho I wish I could :D) figured I'd work to ensure that this chapter was done properly before I released it for general consumption.**

 **It has been brought to my attention that their is a shadow controlling sacred gear. I assure you, what Dante has is not that, tho the idea that it could be related to it is a possibility in future. And since I've only read up to the beating Loki chapter in the manga (and the beating the dragon Rias in the anime) my knowledge of the series only extends that far as of now, but will recfitiy that soon. That being said, will not be changing any aspects of Dante's powers, since I already had a full list of what he could do, so want people to know that I came up with the Idea without knowing about the Night Reflector, so if theirs any similarities...not copying since I don't own Highschool DXD lol.**

 **Anyways...this chapter deals with more interactions between the OC and the canon peerage. Think its safe to say that Kiba would be able to pick up on Dante's unwillingness to talk about his past, since he doesn't say anything about it until it becomes nesserary for him to discuss it.**

 **Also have more details on Dante's non shadow using skills. I confess that I always wanted him to be a swordsman..but the style was never going to rely on agility. Rather the inspiration came from another physically strong, but somewhat slow, swordsman, who nevertheless manages to be a complete badass with his red light saber and cybernetic limbs (Hopefully you all get the reference lol).**

 **In addition to that, we see a certain feline get a tad closer to the moody Devil, who accepts it as an odd, but somewhat welcome presence in his life. Will steadily be developed until I decide to do the not so secret reveal lol.**

 **And of course, we see the introduction of everyone's favorite psycho priest. I think I managed to get his attitude spot on. AND ever since I watched the other popular anime about a Devil/Demon servant and a crazed flamboyant killer, I always imagined Freed acting like a certain crimson haired reaper.**

 **Surprised how long its taken me to actually reach the end of the first volume of the series, but hey, provides more reading material.**

 **Hopefully your all not too annoyed with the cliffhanger...still working on what the nature of Freed and Dante's past relationship will be (not to mention how Dante will treat the innocent ex holy maiden once she becomes a regular presence in his new life)...but it will be entertaining.**

 **and as it stands...here is the always changing harem pairings.**

 **Issei: Asia, Irina, Xenovia, Ravel, Kunou, **Yasaka,** Rossweisse, Gabriel, Kiyome. Yuebella. Female Gasper.**

 **Dante: Akeno, Raynare, Serafall, Kuroka, Sona, Ophis, Koneko. female Vali. And...I'm starting to think of placing Rias with Dante, though not complelty sold on the idea (even though their are tons of OC stories where she ends up with Issei and the others end up with the OC)**

 **ANWAYS...REVIEWS ARE A MUST (preferably ones about the story not the authors notes :P). NO FLAMES**

 **And new Poll is up on profile page asking what you want added to the story.**

 **til next time**


	13. Chp 12 Dante to the Rescue

Having determined that his fellow Devil hadn't sustained anything more serious than a knee injury, albeit a serious one, and dismissing the mixed expression of fear and gratitude he was receiving from the disheveled looking nun, Dante kept his attention firmly fixed on the white haired exorcist. And though it greatly sickened him to be in the same room with one of the few people who could irritate more than his perverted teammate, the shadow controlling Devil somehow managed to suppress the urge to skewer the grinning priest as he was once again made aware of Freed's highly disturbing infatuation with him.

"Ohhh myyy. This is certainly unexpected. To think I would be reunited with my favorite sparring partner in a Devil run town like this, it must be fate. Though I do feel bad that our long awaited meeting had to come about when I'm in the middle of a job. So if you would kindly give me a minute or 2 while I finish up with my disobedient partner and her soon to be dead lover, I'll be more than happy to pick up from where we left off during our last little rendezvous".

Not bothering to conceal his distaste at having to once again deal with Freed's disturbing idiosyncrasies, and uncaring of the fact that Issei was flashing him a pain filled look that spoke of his curiosity towards the nature of his relationship with the crazed priest, Dante managed to keep his tone level as offered a reply to the grinning exorcist.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that Freed. As pathetic as he is, Hyoudo's life does possess some value to me, so if you want to have your brand of fun with the pervert, then your going to have go through me".

Trying his best not to feel too insulted by his black haired teammate's comment, the injured brunnete managed to shoot a look of gratitude towards the unmoving Devil before the white haired exorcist managed to once again freak him out.

"Bwahahahahahaha. Oh this is hilarious. To think that you, the Shadow of the Alps, would actually care about someone as worthless as this shitty Devil. I'm starting to think you've gone soft since our last little meeting. But I can fix that for you right now. See, dealing with this pathetic piece of Devil shit was kind of disappointing, didn't even break a sweat putting him out of commission, though it was kinda funny to see my subordinate rush to his side all concerned like. But you, I know you can provide me with the kind of entertainment that trumps killing Devils and raping women, so I think I'll"

 _BANG._

Flinching at the sudden noise, and taking a moment to comfort the understandably terrified nun, Issei looked at his teammate, who was currently glaring at the now swearing priest, and said the first thing that came to his mind.

"WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE SHOT HIM BEFORE? AND WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET A GUN IN THE FIRST PLACE"?

Satisfied that Freed had been neutralised for the time being, though he knew that a normal bullet would be unable to knock the crazed exorcist for long, Dante allowed his annoyed expression to morph back into its default uncaring expression as he answered his still bleeding teammate.

"Couple of reasons actually, though the only one worth mentioning is that I wanted to see if he had anything interesting to say before he started acting like the depraved lunatic that he is. And as to where I got the gun, it was what my first client decided to pay me with after I agreed to perform her request. Still surprised that our master allowed me to keep this, but I'm not gonna complain about it when I can get some use out of it. And you really should consider acting a little more grateful in the future. This is the second time I've had to save your ass from being killed, and your still acting like I'm the bigger bad guy than those who are trying to kill you. So next time you want to complain about how I got about saving you, my aim might be a tad off the next time I use this. Understand"?

Waving the modified Luger pistol at the fully chastised brunette, and ignoring the squeak of fear that came from the understandably terrified nun, Dante was unable to offer any more bits of advice courtesy of the fact that the white haired exorcist had applied a tourniquet to his bleeding leg, and was now staring at the black haired Devil with a look that could easily trump Akeno in terms of sadism.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh man this is priceless. I thought you were merely showing sympathy for Shit Stain over their cuz you were going soft after all these years. But to find out that you've lost the last remaining traces of your humanity to some garbage eating Devil, oh that is just to much. But never you fear, my feelings for you remain the same even though your tainted now, so you'll still get to enjoy having my iron blade shoved into your body".

Frowning in disgust at the manically grinning exorcist, and knowing that Freed would be more than happy to back up his threat despite his injured state, Dante didn't even hesitate as he emptied his remaining bullets into the body of the most persistent annoyance of his life. Of course given given the exorcist's ability to anticipate danger, none of the shots managed to produce an instant kill shot, but they did succeed in causing the mad priest to halt his frenzied attack.

Sneering in disgust at the disturbed human, though he used that term loosely since Freed's actions were more akin to feral beast rather than a sentient creature, Dante turned his gun away from the loudly cursing exorcist and refocused it on the understandably terrified nun. And as he ignored the cries of outrage from his wounded teammate, the black haired Devil pulled the trigger with only the barest traces of sympathy in his hardened gaze.

 _Click._

 _Click._

 _Click._

Scowling in annoyance as he realized that he had wasted all of his bullets on the manic priest, and knowing that it was only a matter of time before they had to to deal with the appearance of the disgraced exorcist's allies, Dante decided to do something that irritated him much more than having to come to his perverted comrade's rescue.

Sparing a devout follower of god.

For it was clear to him that while the sobbing nun was no longer associated with the forces of heaven, for only an excommunicated member of the church would be desperate enough to partner up with a depraved lunatic like Freed, it was rather obvious that the girl still clung to her faith in God like a drowning man clinging to a life line.

Concealing his gun back into the slightly voluminous sleeves of his over coat, and using the last remnants of his already frayed patience to block out the desperate cries of his perverted comrade as he desperately tried to fend off the shadow like tendril that was currently dragging him away from an equally upset nun, Dante willed the shadows to respond to his command, and in a blink of an eye, both he and Issei were gone.

...

Despite the fact that most people believed her to be devoid of any emotion that had nothing to do with violence, the white haired nekomata was fully capable of experiencing the same thoughts and feelings that her more personable comrades seemed to wear with pride.

Oh sure, they had the habit of concealing their less than pleasant emotions behind masks of near perfect amicably, but when they were truly content with their lot in life, they not only expressed it openly, but did so in a manner that allowed other people to be included. But such was not the case for her. After the betrayal of her sister, Koneko had rarely allowed anyone to know just went behind her expressionless mask, and for the longest time, she had felt that she would never meet someone who could understand the desire to nearly shut oneself off from the world just to keep themselves from feeling any more pain.

But after her master decided to 2 more additions to their ranks, it quickly became obvious to the white haired Devil that she was no longer the only servant of the house of Gremory who had chosen to conceal his innermost self behind near impenetrable layers of anti social behavior. And while the interaction between the two rooks had been slightly hostile ever since they had introduced themselves to one another, Koneko felt herself drawing closer to Dante then anyone she had previously encountered.

It wasn't the rocky beginning's of a romantic relationship, for the black haired Devil did not inspire the same feelings of physical desire that seemed to have gripped not only her buxom comrade, but also the majority of the academy's female population. Rather it felt similar to the bond she had once enjoyed with her sister before Kuroka had abandoned her to escape justice for her crimes.

Yes her fellow rook was easily irritated, more so when he was forced to bail out their perverted teammate, and yes he had the annoying habit of snacking on some of her specially baked sweets, but she believed that like the rest of her master's servants, Dante would never deliberately do anything to upset her.

And it was only because of this belief that Koneko waited for the taller rook to explain his latest actions before she formed her own opinion. For despite Dante's ever present dislike for the perverted pawn, the cat demon hybrid suspected that something serious must have happened for him to risk Rias's anger. Because judging by the heavy bruising that appeared to cover all of the Issei's body, not to mention the fact that the brunette was busy sending a surprisingly hate filled glare towards his sneering companion, it was clear that something had happened between the 2 Devils.

And judging by the barely contained anger that was noticeably present in the tone of her buxom master, Koneko knew that both Devils would suffer equally for incurring Rias's wrath.

...

Taking a moment to get her temper under control, a task made somewhat more difficult due to the obvious level of hostility that currently existed between her two servants, the crimson haired Devil addressed the glaring pair with a voice that while calm, nonetheless managed to convey her displeasure with the two boys.

"I'll give you both one chance, and ONLY once chance to come up with a suitable excuse to explain your actions this past evening. Dante, since you were the one I entrusted with rescuing Issei before he got hurt, I'll let you go first".

Sneering as he gestured at the heavily bruised pawn, Dante was somehow able to keep his voice level, though their was a noticeable trace of venom in his tone, as he proceeded to explain what had happened during the course of his rescure mission.

"Pretty much what you would expect. Hyoudo's lack of common sense led to a situation where his life was once again threatened by an individual who wouldn't think twice about killing him. I managed to arrive before any permanent damage could have been inflicted, but it was a close run thing. You might also be interested to know that despite the opponent he was facing, he could have managed to escape under his own power, but since their happened to be a scantily clad nun in the room, I highly doubt that his mind was focused on self preservation".

Fighting the urge to groan as her pawn's perverted tendencies were once again the cause for his current misfortune, Rias pointed a finger at the heavy bruising that covered the exposed bits of Issei's body.

"And how do you explain those? They don't look like the type of marks one would get from someone whose trying to kill you. In fact, I'd say their proof that someone has been taking their frustrations out on their fellow Devil. Don't you agree"?

Scowling at the red head's accurate observation, Dante shot a quick look of loathing at the still glaring Devil before turning his attention back to his unamused looking master with his answer.

"He had it coming. The idiot didn't take too kindly to the fact that I left his girlfriend behind to her fate, and since he was being ungrateful of my efforts to once again pull his ass out of the fire, I thought that I could knock some sense into him by demonstrating why it is not wise for one of his capabilities to challenge someone like me".

Frowning at the black haired Devil's rather frank admission, and sensing that the time had come to get the other half of the story before she started showing signs of favoritism, Rias allowed her annoyed expression to shift into a mask of light disappointment as she addressed the other currently glaring Devil.

"Now Issei, why don't you tell me your version of what happened this evening? Cause while I'm sure Dante wouldn't try to deceive me, I am curious to know if he's left anything out".

While she was expecting the brunette pawn to verbally attack his silently glaring teammate, Rias had to admit that she had been expecting an anger filled tirade about how he had undeservedly been forced to endure the violent tendency's of the moody rook. But while she was somewhat accurate in her prediction, the crimson haired Devil was surprised that the majority of Issei's anger was directed not at what he had been forced to go through, but rather what his teammate had done while coming to his rescue.

"That...that bastard tried to kill her. He spared the life of that crazy white haired priest, but he decided to try and kill Asia just because she's helpless. I get that he might want to spare the life of his friend, but she was an innocent victim. You got to let me go back and save her. She's in trouble".

Frowning as Issei regaled them with his version of what had happened, Rias managed to keep her growing frustration under control as Dante more or less confirmed the the brunette's accusation courtesy of yet another sneering put down.

"I had no intentions of sparing Freed you perverted twit. The only reason why I didn't go for an instant kill shot is because he would have expected it of me. And since I was already handicapped by your injured presence, I decided to go with a method of victory that the exorcist wouldn't see coming".

Judging that she would gain the information she required by listening to her two servants bickering rather than interrogating them, the crimson haired heiress kept silent as Issei responded to the black haired rook's explanation.

"That still doesn't explain why you tried to kill Asia. She was clearly a victim in all this, and you didn't even hesitate to turn your gun on her before you pulled the trigger".

Deciding to ask why Dante was carrying around a gun at a more appropriate time, Rias had to admit that whatever it was she had been expecting, the rook's explanation completely caught her off guard.

"It's a little thing I like to call mercy Hyoudo. Your little friend was running around with perhaps the most depraved exorcist the church has ever spawned, and thanks to her rather naive attempt to beg for your miserable life, I'm sure that Freed would take great pleasure in reminding the nun that Devil's are supposed to be her enemies. A bullet to head would be far less painful than whatever fate has in store for her now. But luckily, its not my problem".

Seeing that Issei was gearing up for yet another verbal assault against his teammate, and wishing to confirm some things for herself while Dante was in a more or less talkative mood, Rias allowed her previously angered expression to soften by the barest of fractions as she addressed her violence prone servant.

"While I'm not going to ask how you know this exorcist, or for that matter where you got a gun, though I assure you we will be talking about that later, I am curious why you decided to ignore my expressed command in fighting, not to mention attempting to kill, a member of the church"?

Receiving a look that while lacking it's earlier venom, nevertheless still managed to express the same condescension that had been leveled at her perverted pawn, Rias decided to hold off on selecting a proper punishment for Dante's continued disrespect as he managed to come up with an explanation that managed to wipe away the fears of a potential diplomatic crisis.

"You seriously think that a depraved lunatic like Freed would still be considered a beloved servant of those sanctimonious pricks? As if. He got kicked out of the Church years ago, and if Hyoudo's forbidden girlfriend is running around with him, then it's clear that she is also no longer a protected member of the Church".

Finding no fault in his deductive skills, and judging that Issei had nothing further to add to this info gathering session, Rias decided to call the meeting to a close, but not before issuing some form of punishment for her newest servants. For although she was relieved that they had managed to survive a clearly dangerous situation, even if Issei managed to get wounded before his fellow Devil had come to his rescue, the fact remained that unless she could reign in their more disobedient tendencies, they would either meet their end at the tip of a light spear, or hunted down by the rest of Devil kind for desertion.

"Seeing as your comrade has nothing further to add, I think it would be a good idea to call it a night. However, I still have to assign a proper punishment for your actions tonight. I don't know how many times I've told you this, but you cannot treat your fellow Devil like your personal punching bag".

Ignoring Dante's scowling expression as she turned her attention towards the smirking brunette, Rias had to keep herself from laughing as her pawn's amusement quickly crumbled in the face of her latest declaration.

"And don't think I've forgotten about you Issei. Though his methods are a little too violent for my taste, Dante is essentially right. Your continued inability to think before you act, not to mention your over eager interest in the female body, is constantly placing your in danger. And while I am willing to help you achieve your desired goal, I am willing to destroy your dream should it result in your life, and the lives of your teammates, being placed in harms way".

Gulping nervously as his red haired master released just a bit of her aura to convey how displeased she was with his actions, Issei failed to keep himself from cringing as the buxom Devil assigned him his punishment.

"Since your last, and so far only successful contract has generated much praise from your contractor, he's, oh I'm sorry SHE'S recommended our services to a bunch of her friends. And since Koneko and Kiba are currently overbooked for the next 2 weeks, you'll have to pick up the slack. But I'm sure that Miltan and his friends will be more than happy to compensate you for your time. Provided of course your mind is able to handle the sight of overly muscular men acting like cosplaying teenage girls".

Satisfied that her punishment would probably influence the brunette Devil to modify his behavior, if only by the barest of increments, and taking a moment to consider what would be the best way to discipline her black haired Rook, Rias had to keep herself from smirking as she decided upon a suitable punishment.

"As for you Dante, I think the Student Council would greatly appreciate your very kind offer to help them deal with their never ending piles of paper work. I'll inform Sona that you'll be able to start next week".

Ignoring the glare that she was receiving from her black haired servant, and gesturing with her hand that her troublesome servants could now leave, Rias waited until they were out the door before turning her attention to her remaining servants.

"I know its unfair of me to ask this, but would it possible for the 3 of you to make sure that those 2 don't get into any more trouble? With the amount of trouble that seems to follow those 2, it's only a matter of time before they find themselves out of their league".

Receiving nods of agreement from her faithful servants, though she wasn't sure if she should be concerned or not by Akeno's predatory grin as she did so, the buxom heiress hoped that this would be the last time she would have to chastise her newest servants.

But with Issei's obsession of the physical aspects of female body, and Dante's inability to prevent himself from expressing his displeasure with his fellow servant, Rias suspected that such a wish was pointless.

...

Despite the undeniable thrill of the hunt that always came about when she was pursuing the potential candidate for helping her to replenish her race, the currently transformed nekomata found her patience growing short as she waited for her current target to come home.

Though she had been forbidden by the Infinity Dragon itself to reveal her true form to the shadow wielder, their had been nothing in her orders that had prevented her from gradually integrating herself into the personal life of the recently transformed Devil.

This evening's latest meeting had actually gone rather well in her opinion, for while she already knew about the circumstances that had led to the near extinction of his people, Dante's willingness to talk about his deceased family had taken her by surprise since she he had made it clear that he hadn't revealed his past history to anyone else.

Of course that Gremory brat had to ruin their little bonding moment by sending him on some urgent errant, but that had only increased her desire to get to know the blacked haired Devil on a more personal level.

And thus, here she sat. On the roof of a car waiting for Inumbro to return to the building that he called home.

And as luck would have it, just as she had decided to call it a night, she saw the already darkened alley become even darker, and within a short moment, the boy she had been waiting for the past 5 hours stepped out of the impenetrable darkness.

Jumping down from her perch to fall in line with the clearly irritated Devil, and adopting an expression that had successfully conned many fool hardy humans, the black furred cat announced her presence with her trademark idiosyncrasy.

"Nyaah".

Stopping mid stride as he heard the familiar expression, Dante turned his narrowed gaze downward and stared into the hazel eyes of one of the few individuals in his life whose presence he did not find irritating.

"Oh its you. Look, I'm sorry that our little heart to heart was cut short, but I'm in no mood to talk right now. So go back to wherever it is you call home and leave me be".

She wasn't going to put up with this. She spent 5 hours out in the cold night air waiting for him to come back, and now he was going to brush her aside because he was in a mood? Like hell he was.

"Nyaaahhhh".

Failing to shake his feline stalker away as she clung to the hem of his pants, and feeling oddly sympathetic to the clingy animal, Dante let out a defeated sigh as he continued to walk with his new passenger.

"Oh all right. I suppose I could use the company anyway. But if you tell anyone, I'm gonna feed you to the biggest barking animal I can find. Got it"?

Pleased with the Devil's submission, Kuroka rubbed her furry head against his ankle in affection.

"Nyyyaaaah".

And as he continued on with his new companion, who quickly abandoned her position at his ankle to jump up and rest on his shoulders, Dante couldn't help but snort in amusement as he thought to himself that this was the first time he was returning home with a member of the female species.

And as fate would have it, it wouldn't be the last.

...

 **ANNNND DONE.**

 **Apologies** **for the wait. But other stories, rewriting stories took up a lot of time, and for the longest period, I was stuck on this chapter.**

 **But thanks to my new Beta Reader _LyingHiki,_ I was able to direct more time on completing this chapter :)**

 **Hopefully you all enjoyed it. I confess I was going with a different direction with Dante and Freed's interaction...i.e. making Freed afraid of my OC...but after some inspiration from a certain Flamboyant Red Head from another anime/manga series about Demons/Devils...decided to go with the result you see before you lol.**

 **And as for trying to kill Asia...Obviously I wouldn't allow such a thing to happen, but considering the direction of his backstory, wanted to lay the foundations for the blonde nun to have an uneasy/fearful relationship (not romantic lol) with my OC.**

 **Always my intention to give Dante some form of weapon that doesn't soley rely on shadows...hence the Pistol, which is a** **Luger P08 in case anyone cared to know :P**

 **Hoped you like the Koneko and Kuroka centric scenes, as well as the boys getting punished for their actions**

 **As it stands...these are the current potential harem pairings, nothing concrete.**

 **Issei: Koneko, Asia, Xenovia, Irina, Female Gasper, Ravel, Rosseweisse. Kalwarner (IF she lives)**

 **Dante: Rias, Akeno, Serafall, Kuroka, Raynare (IF she lives), Sona female Vali, Ophis**

 **As Always...Please review/offer comments...no flames of course.**

 **Big thanks to LyingHiki for his help.**

 **And til next time.**


	14. Chp 13 Annoyances and Irritants

**Highschool DXD**

His eyes cracking open as he felt the comforting darkness of his bedroom gradually melt away in the face of the rising morning sun, Dante grudgingly started to prepare for yet another irritating day when he noticed a couple of things that caused him to halt his morning preparations.

The first thing that was apparent to him was the fact that he was no longer the sole occupant of his sparsely decorated bedroom. And judging by the warm feeling that was currently situated above his ankles, it was clear to him that whatever had decided to enter his room had decided to make itself at home by sharing his bed.

Summoning a swirling ball of shadow on the off chance that his foot warmer was in some way hostile, the black haired Devil slowly raised his head and beheld a sight that caused him to momentarily pause in confusion before he remembered the events of the previous evening.

Having suffered the rather irritating experience of having to defend the less than tactful methods he had used to once again save his perverted teammate from a untimely death, Dante had returned to his apartment in a less than savory mood. For not only was he being punished for trying to install a sense of self-preservation in his fellow Devil, but thanks to the impending arrival of Fallen Angels, he had been unable to finish off his crazed adversary and his assistant. And since Freed's thirst for blood was equally matched by his insanity, the black haired rook lamented the fact that he had failed to make his life easier by permanently removing that particular thorn in his side.

So caught up had he been in his own musings, that he hadn't noticed that his feline acquaintance was following him until she decided to alert him to her presence.

He had been somewhat surprised by the sudden display of possessive the cat had shown after he tried to make it clear that he was in no mood for company. But feeling more resigned than irritated with her continued attempts to gain his attention, and judging that there was little harm in agreeing to her demands, he caved in.

And though he would never admit it out loud, Dante found himself enjoying the novelty of no longer being the sole occupant of his lightly furnished apartment, though he found it rather amusing that a cat had managed to win the prize that many girls at the academy had lusted over ever since he had enrolled himself.

Sharing his bed.

Silently chastising himself for his lapse in memory, and ignoring the sleepy protests of his new feline roommate as he took away her heat source, Dante willed his formless sphere of shadows to take on the appearance of a common dagger, and silently moved to investigate the other noticeable deviation in his morning routine.

Using his shadow traveling ability to move from his darkened bedroom into the main sitting area of his 1 bedroom apartment, the black haired Devil felt his eyes twitch in irritation as he beheld a sight that would have been appreciated if it wasn't for the identity of the one responsible for creating it.

"Good morning Dante. I hope you don't mind, but since you were still fast asleep, not to mention the fact that we hardly ever get to hang out after club meetings, I took the liberty of preparing us a nice homemade breakfast to enjoy before we headed off to the academy".

Sparing a quick moment to look over the admittedly delicious looking banquet the curvaceous Devil had managed to create from his rather limited supplies, Dante barely managed to keep his tone more or less civil as he addressed his smiling houseguest.

"While I appreciate your efforts Akeno, I got to ask why you felt it was necessary to break into my home, uninvited too I might add, just to make me a balanced breakfast. It's not like I've done anything to deserve this"?

Frowning slightly at Dante's less than welcoming reaction to her efforts, the raven haired beauty nonetheless quickly reverted back to her smiling persona as she gestured for the still standing Devil to sit.

"I just thought that it would be a good opportunity to get to know each other a little better since you never seem to be particularly keen in relaxing at the club house. And guessing that like all boys you would be more sociable if you were presented with a lovingly prepared meal, I thought that a conversation held over a specially made breakfast would be the perfect way to learn more about my fellow Devil".

Eyes narrowing in irritation as he sat himself down at the food laden table, Dante allowed some of his annoyance to enter his tone as he helped himself to the stack of syrup covered pancakes.

"Is that so? Well you'll have to forgive me if after last night I'm feeling particularly chatty. And since I suspect that your only here on the behest of our master to keep an eye on me, the fact that you made me breakfast does not exactly place me in a sociable mood".

Taking a bite out of the admittedly delicious pancake, the black haired Devil waited to see how the sadistic girl would take his somewhat snarkily delivered accusation.

He didn't have to wait long, though he was somewhat taken by surprise by the raven haired girl's reply.

"I admit that is part of the reason. After the violent adventure you and Issei experienced last night, Rias decided that it wasn't safe for you 2 to be by yourselves until we've gotten a better handle on the situation. But this is not a hardship for me. I meant what I said earlier in that I want us to spend some quality time together. And what better way to do so than a open discussion about how you're being punished for your cruel treatment of your fellow peer member. Not that I disagree with your methods of course. Violent reprisals are always the best methods in enforcing good behavior, though I suspect that Issei's overly enthusiastic love of the womanly form will soon cause him to forget this lesson".

Snorting in derision as the busty Devil described their teammate's most notable tendency, and doing his best to suppress his feelings of annoyance with his crimson haired master's meddling, Dante took a moment to decide how he could potentially turn this irritating situation to his benefit before directing a question at his buxom companion.

"I don't suppose that there are any restrictions on how you keep an eye on me? Cause if their aren't, I might as well take advance of your undivided attention and do something productive".

As soon as he said those words, 2 things happened that instantly caused him to regret from speaking out in the first place. The first one being that he was now the target of a lewdly smiling Akeno, whose eyes reminded him of a wolf who had just been presented an opportunity to play with its food before eating it.

"Why Dante, I had no idea that you felt that way. I was starting to believe that you and Kiba had more in common than dashing good looks. Nice to know that beneath that harsh exterior beats the heart of a hot blooded male with an interest for womanly curves rather than ".

His eye twitching in annoyance as Akeno wrongly misinterpreted both his intentions and sexuality, Dante would have quickly moved to correct her if it wasn't for the fact that he was currently trying to ignore the fact that his ankle was now being used as a scratching post by a suddenly present feline.

Catching the brief grimace of pain that flashed across her teammate's face, Akeno dropped her teasing expression in favor of one that expressed her honest concern for her fellow Devil's distress.

"Are you alright Dante? I didn't realise that you would take my teasing that…".

"NYAAAHHHH".

Her apology interrupted by the sudden protests of her teammate's newest roommate, the raven haired beauty failed to suppress her amusement as she was presented with yet another opportunity to tease the now glaring rook.

"Well I must say, of all the things I could have imagined, I would have never pegged you for a cat person Dante. And what's more, judging by the glare she's currently sending my way, I would suspect that she's rather annoyed with me for my earlier comment".

Ignoring the buxom Devil's teasing observation in favor of glaring at the equally annoyed feline, Dante played with the idea of turning the violent ball of fur into a piñata when as usual, his master decided to make her presence known.

 _I'm on the highway to hell_

 _On the highway to hell_

 _Highway to hell_

 _I'm on the highway to hell_

Sighing as he moved to answer his cell phone, and ignoring the amused looks he was receiving from both of his black haired guests for his choice of ringtone, Dante kept silent as the voice of his crimson haired master came over the line.

"Good morning Dante. I trust that Akeno has already explained the circumstances of your new situation? You can't imagine the difficulty I had to go through in order to find where you live, but lucky for you I am willing to go to any lengths to ensure my loveable servants are kept safe and sound".

Turning away from a grinning Akeno so that he didn't advertise his less than grateful attitude towards his master's meddling, Dante managed to barely keep his annoyance out of his voice as he offered his own opinion on his questionable loveableness.

"Considering the fact that I am only slightly easier to live with than the pervert, I have to wonder what your definition of repulsive is. But to answer your earlier question the answer is yes. Though I question why you thought it was necessary for her to resort to breaking and entering when she could have just knocked on my door like a normal person".

Having expected Rias to laugh in amusement at the buxom queen's morning inability to follow societal norms when it came to common courtesy, Dante barely batted an eye as his crimson haired master confirmed his theory.

"I judged that since you would probably deny her entry given the chance, having her ambush you inside your home was the best method to bring you up to speed. I trust that despite your regrettable lack of social skills, you haven't done anything to make Akeno unappreciated"?

Doing his best not to sigh in irritation at the pure blooded Devil's teasing, Dante was prevented from offering a reply as Akeno decided to intrude in his previously private conversation.

"Ohhh you have no need to worry on that front Rias. Before you called, Dante was already inquiring whether the two of us could make this little arrangement of yours far more enjoyable than it could have been. Though I wonder how Issei will act once he learns that his teammate is now taking a more active role in thwarting his efforts to form a harem".

Sending an irritated glare at his amused looking houseguest, Dante moved to quickly clarify the meaning of his request before Rias decided to add ti the raven haired sadist's teasing.

"While it would greatly amuse me to see the pervert thwarted in his attempts to reach his goal, I assure you that my intention was simply to inquire whether or not my assigned stalker could begin the process of teaching me how to tap into my new found abilities".

Hearing the crimson haired Devil give a hum of consideration at his question, the shadow controlling rook allowed a smirk of satisfaction to spread across his face as he listened to his master's verdict.

"I don't see why not. Wish Issei would show the same initiative as you, but I suppose that unlike you, he's still adjusting to his newfound circumstances. At any rate, you have my permission as long as Akeno agrees to supervise your efforts. Don't want you to accidentally level Kuoh while practicing after all".

Seeing the buxom Devil nod in agreement as he looked at her with his unspoken question, Dante's earlier enthusiasm somewhat dimmed as Rias ended the call with a less than happy reminder.

"Since I'm sure Akeno has just given her consent to train you, I'll leave you in her more than capable hands. But before I let the two of you get ready for the day, just want to let you know that I've already talked with Sona, and I told her that you would pop by the Student Council room after school today to discuss the details of your punishment. Anyways, talk to you later".

Annoyed by the reminder that he was being punished for his more violent attempts to instill a sense of self-preservation within his perverted teammate, Dante was broken out of his thoughts by the amused sounding voice of the raven haired beauty.

"Now that that's out of the way, why don't we enjoy the remainder of our breakfast while discussing the parameters of your new training schedule? Despite the fact that your evil piece focuses on strength and durability, you may possess an affinity for magic given your shadow controlling abilities. I trust you're not averse to the idea of intensive training"?

Shaking his head to show that he had no problem with pushing himself to the limit, and judging that it would be better to accept his fellow Devil's offer to dine with her since she was going to help him add more useful abilities to his repertoire, Dante took his place at the table.

And as Akeno described to him the various methods that she would use during the course of his training, the black haired rook, whose lap was now serving as a comfortable sitting place for a now purring feline, couldn't help but wonder whether his fellow servant was also enjoying the effects of their master's paranoia.

…

"It's not fair. Dante beats the hell out of me, and our master sends a beauty like Akeno to act as his personal bodyguard. While I get stuck walking to school with you just because I tried to save an innocent girl from dying. Where is the justice in that"?

Despite having listened to the same complaint ever since their master had decided to rearrange his morning routine, the blond haired knight somehow managed to keep his tone free of any irritation as he once again explained Rias's decision to place her troublesome pawn under his supervision.

"I don't know about justice, but I think our master's decision shows a lot of common sense. As the 2nd strongest member of the peerage, Akeno is not only more than capable of protecting her newest teammates should they find themselves in danger, but also possesses enough strength to enforce our master's ruling. And since Dante has a firm grasp on his innate abilities whereas you do not, it makes sense that Rias would send her most powerful, not to mention most sadistic servant to keep an eye on her most rebellious one".

Pleased with his explanation, the blond haired knight was rather surprised when Issei merely responded to his answer with a downcast expression instead of the usual jealous glare that seemed to be a regular occurrence whenever he was compared to his teammate.

"So you're saying that because Rias thinks I'm worthless, she doesn't need to waste much effort in keeping me in line? I don't know which is worse. The fact that Dante seems to be close to achieving my dream, or the fact that a hottie like Rias think's I'm weak".

Shocked at the brunette Devil's admission, and knowing he had to be careful so as to not further lower his spirits, Kiba chose his words with caution as he tried to cheer up the moody pervert.

"Your being too hard on yourself Issei. You've only been a Devil for slightly more than week, hardly enough time for your body to get used to your newly granted abilities. Same goes for Dante, though his past training and abilities largely make him far more combat worthy than would otherwise be the case. Trust me, if it was merely a contest of strength, I guarantee you that Koneko would beat him every time, and would probably have a good time doing it as well".

Smiling as Issei laughed at what he presumed to be the image of Koneko savagely kicking the black haired Devil in the crotch, the blond haired night was surprised by the response he got from his perverted teammate.

"You know, you may pretty boy bastard, but you're alright Kiba. Though if you tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it and call you liar".

Not bothering to wait for a reply from the smiling Devil, who couldn't decide whether he should be grateful for Issei's acceptance or amused by his unwarranted jealousy, Issei ditched his largely unwanted bodyguard as he prepared himself to endure yet another day of hell in the Devil run Academy.

For he suspected that despite their master's sternly worded warning, Dante would nevertheless act as he usually did whenever he thought he could get away with it.

Unfortunately though, while the black haired rook largely managed to keep his more socially acceptable mockery in check, the events of the following afternoon would only seek to worsen the less than stellar relationship that the newly turned Devils shared.

…

Though she knew she would suffer some repercussions for her latest attempt at defiance, her fear of punishment was largely smothered by the intense desire to meet her one and only friend.

Yes she knew that he was a Devil, but surprisingly enough, that didn't bother her in the slightest. He was a far kinder person than her fellow humans who like her had also been forced to seek the protection of those powerful enough to protect them from the unforgiving nature of their former comrades. And unlike the Angels who had long since fallen from the favor of the divine, Issei saw her as a person rather than some tool to enhance his own power.

It was for that reason, as well as the terrifying evidence of Father Freed's crimes, that had allowed her to overcome her own timid nature and speak out against the unbalanced exorcist's crimes. And even though such an act put her own life in danger, she would gladly do it again if it meant Issei had a chance to continue living.

Thankfully, even though her attempt failed in the face of Freed's sadistic brutality, both Issei and herself had been spared a gruesome fate by the sudden arrival of a Devil who managed to draw the exorcist's attention away from his more helpless victims.

Of course that wasn't to say that she hadn't been completely terrified of him after he had tried to kill her, despite Issei's protests. And even though she was sure that he was no longer watching over her thanks to her exile, Asia was convinced God had been watching over her that night. For not only had she been reunited with her first and only friend, Devil though he might be, but Freed and the black haired Devil had failed in their attempts to not only send her to her heavenly reward, but also saving Issei from being killed by the arriving Fallen Angels.

Lady Raynare had been deeply upset when she learned that the white haired exorcist had nearly killed her, but that had paled in comparison to Lord Dohnaseek's anger when he discovered that Freed had failed to kill not only Issei, but his black haired friend as well.

She still remembered the brief look of shock that passed over Raynare's information when she head the news, but that had quickly morphed into indifference as she ordered the confused nun to use her abilities to heal the wounded exorcist.

In an odd way, she should be somewhat thankful to Freed since it had been largely thanks to him that she had mustered the necessary courage to leave the confines of the crumbling church to seek out a certain brunette Devil. While she was still uncertain whether there was any truth in his crazed rantings about how tonight would be her last night alive, the blond nun nevertheless felt if today was going to be her last day gracing God's green earth, she would spend it with a friend rather than those who seemed unable to treat her like a normal girl.

Now, if only she knew where to look for him.

She didn't dare try the school since she had been told that Kuoh's ruling Devils would have no qualms about harming a disgraced nun like her if they happened to find her on their turf. And since she was uncertain where Issei liked to hang out after a hard day at the academy, she was forced to wander around until she caught sight of that smiling expression of his.

And as if God was rewarding her for her patience, the blond haired nun broke into a smile as she heard the enthusiastic voice of her favorite Devil. And though she knew that such a joyous meeting could not last forever, she was determined to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

…

Having managed to slip away from his unwanted body guard after his meeting with Kuoh's other reigning Devil had been completed, Dante silently enjoyed his temporary solitude as he thought over the day's events.

While he was certain that he would soon be punished for unauthorized bid for freedom, the black haired Devil had to admit that despite his earlier reservations, the day had gone surprisingly well.

He had elicited a promise from his buxom bodyguard/stalker to teach him how to access his new magical abilities. His perverted teammate had chosen to keep to himself, though the black haired rook noticed that he was the target for many anger filled glares from the brunette. And perhaps the most surprising of all, he had found his meeting with the Sitri heiress to be far less irritating than he had initially expected.

For while he could tell that the violet eyed Devil wished to question him about how he managed to flawlessly resist Rias's hypnotism, Sona had respected the fact that he was not under her command, and thus had no real right to demand questions.

That wasn't to say that she had left him off the hook, for he had been informed that next week he would begin a serving month long sentence buried under mountains of paperwork. But considering the fact that he wasn't being asked to cater to the depraved wishes of a bunch of steroid using cross dressers, he was ok with this form of punishment.

The only problem he had with his new set of responsibilities was that it largely prevented him from participating in any of the Kendo Club's after school activities. And though the training methods used by the human members of the club were far too easy for a person of his skill, Dante could easily admit that he enjoyed the largely one sided sparring sessions since it allowed him to vent his more violent tendencies after a particularly irritating day.

But, thanks to the moronic heroism of his perverted teammate, he was deprived of a much needed outlet, which ironically enough would serve to only increase his already low opinion of the brunette Devil.

"You know, you really shouldn't frown like that. I mean, I can understand why you would be unhappy with your current shitty existence, I would literally kill myself if some lame ass Devil made me into their little bitch, but all that incessant frowning is gonna turn you into an old man. Which I suppose is a good thing since its not like you'll live long enough to reach your senior years".

Quickly adopting a combat stance as he heard the voice of perhaps the only person who rate above Issei on an annoyance scale, Dante fought the urge to grimace as he discovered the deadliness of his current situation.

Noticing that the Devil's attention was focused on his robe wearing compatriots rather than his smiling visage, Freed shrugged apologetically as he drew his sword.

"Sorry bout this Inumbro. But thanks to your itchy trigger finger, my superiors have decided that I needed proper support if I wanted to meet up with my favorite sparring partner. But don't be sad. I promise you that none of them will lay a finger on you since I've made it clear that I'm the only one to violate that body of yours".

Having long since grown used to the former exorcist's disturbing banter, Dante merely responded to Freed's commentary with a snarl as he went on to the offensive.

Grinning as he blocked the now sword wielding Devil with a blade of his own, Freed laughed manically as he experienced the sudden rush that always happened whenever he met an opponent worth killing.

"That's the spirit Inumbro. Make this a challenge for me. I prefer to work up a sweat before I kill something. Makes it all that much more satisfying, don't you think"?

Doing his best to block out the crazed priest's ramblings as he pushed back a particularly savage blow to his head, and attempting to keep half an eye on the robe wearing spectators since he didn't trust Freed's assurance that they wouldn't interfere, Dante's ability to defend himself was soon lowered thanks to a familiar beam of blue light that had suddenly imbedded itself in his arm.

Pouting in annoyance at his opponents sudden handicap, not to mention the fact that his previously hidden superior had decided to interfere just as the fight was getting good, Freed managed to induce a modicum into his tone as he addressed the Fallen Angel.

"Why'd you do that boss? I hadn't finished trying to pay him back for the fun we had last night".

Motioning for his human servants to render the still deadly Devil unconscious, and ensuring that he was the last thing Dante saw before he suffered a particularly vicious blow to the head, Dohnaseek's took a moment to enjoy his victory before deigning to respond to the disappointed looking exorcist.

"I assure you Freed, once we get him back to base, you'll have ample opportunity to thank him for that pathetic state we found you in. However, you'll have to wait your turn since I too have a score to settle with this Devil".

Knowing that it was pointless to argue, though he really REALLY wished to do so, the white haired exorcist kept his peace as his fedora wearing superior directed their escort to take their prize away.

Cause afterall, why settle for one stolen gear when you can have 2?

…

 **Whew...took a while by one chapter close to finishing the first story arc of High School DXD :)**

 **Hopefully your all enjoying this story...and will hopefully begin work on the next one relatively soon.**

 **Til then...Review and Enjoy :)**


	15. Chp 14 Defying Servants and Curious Nuns

Though she prided herself on being a patient and level headed Devil, something that was a valuable trait to have when one's servants were excitable in nature, Rias had to admit that she was reaching her limit thanks to her newest servant's continued inability to face reality.

"How many times to I have to tell you this Issei? You and the nun are on opposite sides. Why don't you understand this? If you were to mount some sort of rescue, you'll die for sure. And since I have no desire to see one of my servants get killed because of some ridiculous display of heroism, I won't let you do this".

Having held on to the hope that Issei would change his mind after she had taken the effort to explain the reasons for her decision, the crimson haired Devil could only watch with mounting frustration as her one and only pawn continued to defy her wishes.

"But Asia might die during this ritual. And since I'm the only friend she's got, I have to help her".

Pleased though she was at Issei's current display of loyalty, misdirected though it might have been, Rias had to resist the urge to violently vent her frustration at the brunette's persistent defiance.

Why couldn't he see that she only had his best interests at heart? Even if his habit wearing friend was herself harmless, the fact remained that she was part of an opposing faction that had clearly showed that they would gladly kill her servants if they felt they could get away with it. And unlike Dante, whose current absence was only adding to her mounting frustration, Issei possessed neither the skills to defend himself from harm, nor the ability to recognize when it was wiser to retreat rather than continue on for a hopeless cause.

However, at least her pawn recognized the fact that it would be easier to achieve his goal by asking for help rather than relying on his own talents to accomplish whatever it was he desired. Another character trait that was different from that usually shown by her anti-social rook, who as she knew would prefer to do things his own way rather than rely on the aid of others.

Still, though she was annoyed by the amount of defiance that was currently being shown to her by her newest servants, the heiress of the Gremory Clan came to the conclusion that perhaps she was looking at this the wrong way.

Since Issei had made it clear that Asia was an unwilling participant in whatever scheme those Fallen Angels were planning, then perhaps it would be possible to not only bring an end to her brunette servant's worrying, but also managing to add another potentially powerful member to her peerage.

There were only 2 potential problems with the buxom Devil's plan. The first one being that Asia Argento, being a truly devout follower of God, would reject her offer to turn her into a Devil, even if it meant being closer to the first true friend she had ever made. Of course such a thing was easy to get around with a little bit of hypnosis, but frankly such an underhanded tactic repulsed her, and she was sure that Issei would prefer to have a friend who was free to make her own decisions, even if some of them might not be to his liking.

The second problem that she could foresee, and the one she most feared, was that the already tense relationship between Dante and Issei would in fact grow more troublesome if she was to add the blonde nun into her peerage. The two Devils were already at each other's throats on a constant basis, with Issei mostly coming off the worst of it since Dante was more skilful in both verbal and physical forms of attack. But for the most part, their bickering reminded her of a pair of quarrelsome brothers, albeit ones that hardly, if ever got along. However, if she was to add to her peerage the cause of their current disagreement, then she was almost certain that she would never again experience the simple joy of a, mostly, harmonious peerage.

Speaking of harmony, or lack thereof, while her sole knight and less talkative rook were trying to talk some sense into their more…rambunctious teammate, Rias couldn't help but wonder what was taking her more sadistic servants so long to show up. For even if Dante was feeling a tad more insolent than usual, the Gremory heiress would have expected her loyal queen to be more than capable of quickly forcing her moody rook into submission, even with his unique ability.

However her concern quickly evaporated as she heard the telltale sound of her queen hurrying through the empty hallways of their headquarters. And though she was slightly annoyed by the lateness of her black haired servants, the seriousness of the situation meant that she was willing to overlook their tardiness.

But as Akeno finally entered the room, the crimson haired heiress of the Gremory Clan could see that not only was she alone, but that her queen's normally serene expression had been replaced with a look that could only be described as worry.

Seeing that the rest of her peerage had failed to notice the sudden entrance of their buxom teammate, let alone noticing her look of distress of their buxom teammate, Rias wordlessly gestured her most trusted friend to keep her voice down as she proceeded to explain the cause for her current state.

"It's Dante. After his meeting with the Sitri group, he managed to disappear without my knowledge, and I can't find him anywhere. He's not responding to his cell, and something's interfering with that handy little tracking spell you had me put on him".

Eye's narrowing as she thought of all the various reasons of how her most defiant servant was able to escape detection from the safety measures she had put in place after his reincarnation, the crimson haired Devil experienced a understandable feeling of apprehension as Akeno gave voice to her greatest fear.

"You…you don't think he might have been captured by the Fallen Angels do you? He certainly has done a lot to make them wish he was dead, and since they have the power of Twilight Healing on their side, it's possible that they sent that white haired exorcist to finish what he failed to do last evening".

Though she agreed with her queen's suspicions, a small niggle of doubt had entered the Gremory heiress as she considered that perhaps their might be another reason for her rook's disappearance. Unlike the rest of her peerage, with perhaps her blonde knight being the small exception, Dante had greeted the news about his new status with violent hostility, and his following interactions with his new teammates varied from either neutral indifference or outright aggression. And though he recognized that his current position was much better than enjoying the life of a hunted stray, their remained a possibility, however remote, that he could seek refuge with the Fallen.

However, before she could completely dismiss the disquieting feeling over her servant's potential treachery, her raven haired queen interrupted her thoughts by reminding her of another pressing problem.

"What do you want to do about Issei? Cause from what I'm seeing, that boy is likely going to run off to the church as soon as your back is turned".

Having come to the same conclusion herself, and trusting that her remaining servants would do their utmost to ensure that Issei's admirable, if somewhat misguided display of heroics did not result in the loss of her newest servant, Rias turned her attention away from her trusted queen and directed it towards the younger members of her peerage.

"Everyone, Akeno and I have some unexpected business to attend to, so I trust all 3 of you will act responsible during our absence".

Receiving nods of acceptance from the younger Devils, though she could easily tell that Issei had only done so grudgingly, the crimson haired heiress of the Gremory clan turned to follow her departing queen, only to stop and flash her depressed pawn a look of mild appraisal.

"Issei, you think that the pawn is the weakest piece there is right"?

Receiving a slightly resentful nod from her less than cheerful servant, and knowing that both Kiba and Koneko would pick up on the hidden message in her explanation, Rias proceeded to give Issei a quick briefing before she went on her own desperate mission.

'Well your wrong. For you see, just like in real chess, the evil piece grants the Devil who carries it the ability, if certain conditions are met, to temporarily transform into any of the other pieces, apart from the king of course. Which means Issei, if I was to give you permission to transform, or you stepped into an area that I have already declared to be enemy territory, you could use your ability to gain the skills of your comrades. Though I hasten to add that at this point in time your body could only handle powers of the specialized pieces, so ensure that you think very carefully on which fighting style suits you".

And with one last stern, yet supportive glance at the moody pervert, Rias had vanished out the door. Leaving a determined pervert, a supportive knight, and a bored looking loli to begin the process of coming up with a plan that would not only allow Issei to achieve his goal, but would do so in a way that wouldn't result in their master's peerage from becoming one member short.

….

Despite the fact that his body felt like it was being roasted from the inside, Dante had no trouble admitting that the worst part of his current circumstances wasn't the intense physical pain he was being subjected to, it was the fact that his most enthusiastic torturer never stopped talking for more than 10 seconds.

"You know Inumbro, have you ever considered that the nature of our relationship is like something straight out of a comic book? I mean, there's you, the violent brooding orphan, and then there's me, the eccentric serial killer with a taste for theatricality. Only difference that I can see is that unlike the caped crusader and the clown prince of crime, you have no qualms about killing people, while I don't need to be dipped into a vat of chemicals to get a thrill out of maiming people".

Grinning with sadistic joy as he brought down his specially modified weapon behind his chained adversary's knee, Freed adopted a fake expression of consideration as he took note of the black haired Devil's response.

"Or perhaps you're more like Batman's side kick. That glaring expression of yours, while possessing all of your usual killing intent, reminds me ever so much of how the second Robin looked before the Joker killed him for the first time. Regardless, I must say that I'm enjoying our little bonding session a lot more than our previous encounter. And it was so nice of my superior to give me this little tool to play with, because it means I can pay you back for those bullet holes you filled me with".

Smashing his crowbar into Dante's stomach, the white haired exorcist's expression took on a slightly apologetic look as he proceeded to trace his rune covered weapon across his glaring captive's arm.

"I am sorry that you had to wait so long for the chance for us to play together. But you know how it is. The sadistic needs of a lowly human like myself are nothing compared to the violent desires of a pissed off Fallen Angel. But I believe you and I share a far deeper bond than Dohnaseek could ever hope to match. I mean yes it's because of him that you've become a scum sucking Devil, and yes he's the reason why your body is currently infused with light magic, but I like to think that I can make your final hours far more meaningful than that fedora wearing prick could ever hope to do".

Allowing only a small grunt of pain to pass his lips as he felt the bones in his arm brake under the weight of Freed's latest attack, Dante waited for the next series of blow's to descend upon his heavily beaten body, only to be saved from further harm by the most likely of individuals.

"Freed that's enough. While I can appreciate the fact that you wish to punish our…guest for the injuries he inflicted on you, please remember that we need him whole if he is to survive the upcoming ritual".

Briefly frowning in annoyance before morphing his features into what passed for an expression of near perfect submissiveness, the white haired exorcist graced his winged superior with a deferential nod while doing his best to not smirk at the timidity of her fearful looking companion.

"My apologises boss lady. But I thought that since we finally have our miracle girl back where she belongs, any damage that my favorite sparring partner might receive during the course of our reunion would be able to be healed after a quick session with Dr. Blondie over their".

Blocking out the pain that stemmed from turning his head so he could get use out of his sole working eye, Dante could see that his torturer's comment had caused his newly arrived jailer to narrow her eyes in angered annoyance, while the shaking nun fearfully hid behind her captor's folded wings.

"Let me put this in a way that your violence loving mind can understand Freed. The ceremony is a delicate procedure, one that requires its…subjects to be strong enough to survive the ordeal until that final moment where their Sacred Gears are ripped out of their bodies. And since we're already tempting fate by going through with this while his body is being poisoned by the effects of light magic, I would prefer the rest of him to remain relatively undamaged".

Nodding his head in compliance so that his skimpily clad superior could not see the brief flash of annoyance that passed over his face, Freed reluctantly pulled away from the heavily bleeding Devil as he made his way to the cell's exit.

However before he crossed the threshold, he couldn't resist one last bit of sadistic indulgence, and casually turned towards the still frightened nun with a smile that almost made her believe that God had truly forsaken her.

"You shouldn't be so glum little sister. Yes I know that your end is nigh, and we still haven't consummated that beautiful burning love that exists between us, but look on the bright side. You get to use your powers to heal a heavily broken Devil before we decide to rip them from your soul. Kind of ironic really considering you're in this mess because you felt pity for a scum sucking Devil in the first place, but hey, at least you're consistent".

Smirking as his word's managed to send the disgraced nun into another torrent of tears, Freed quickly exited the room before he could be chastised for his mockery by the glaring Fallen Angel.

Sighing in annoyance at the troublesome nature of her most bloodthirsty subordinate, Raynare cast a brief look at the silently watching Devil before turning her attention towards her understandably nervous companion.

"Go on Asia. I know that you don't want to have anything to do with our… guest, but I need you to use the power of Twilight Healing to cure him of his injuries. I promise you that he can do nothing to harm you".

Left unsaid was the fact that this would probably be the last time the blonde haired nun would be able to use her gifts to cure anything living soul, but since she had no intention of making the ordeal more unpleasant than it could have, Raynare held her tongue as Asia made her way to the still watching Devil.

"I…I'm sorry if this causes you any distress Mr. Dante. I..I'm not sure if I can heal your body without causing you more pain".

Remaining silent as Asia proceeded to cure the worst of his injuries, though he was disappointed at the discovery that her powers only temporarily alleviated him of the pain caused by Dohanseek's restraining method, Dante managed to keep his face blank as his newest visitor began to lecture him for his actions.

"You know, Freed told me what happened last night, and truth be told I'm having a little difficulty in deciding whether I should be upset that you nearly killed my current meal ticket, or impressed that you managed to subdue my most skilled subordinate. Frankly I'm inclined to be a bit generous considering the nature of our current positions. What do you think"?

His eye no longer swollen thanks to the abilities of his nervous looking healer, and seeing as his situation couldn't get any worse than it already was, Dante offered the scantily clad Fallen Angel a sardonic grin before he managed to rasp out an answer.

"Well that depends. Considering that my actions were largely in self-defence, I can't really be held responsible for trying to put down your rabid attack dog. And since I was far gentler during our last little hostage situation, I would appreciate it if you would extend me the same courtesy that I extended you".

Fighting the urge to laugh at the scowling expression that came over his jailor's face as he proceeded to play the part of a mocking prisoner, the black haired Devil maintained his slightly taunting grin as the leather wearing woman began to steadily lose her composure.

"Do you have any idea of the shame I felt at being caught off guard by a lowly human? It's bad enough that you managed to ambush me, but to play the part of a helpless victim? You should be grateful that I'm not the type to play with my food before I eat it, otherwise I would make you beg for me to finish what Dohaneseek started".

His eye's narrowing in barely restrained anger as Raynare mentioned the one responsible for not only his current imprisonment, but also for his current status as the servant of a spoiled rich girl, Dante somehow managed to keep his town civil as he fanned the flames of the Fallen Angel's anger.

"Forgive me if I don't tremble in fear at your largely empty threat. You wouldn't go to all this trouble to heal me if you didn't require me to be more or less in one piece. And since you don't seem to lack the patience of your more sanctimonious brethren, I sincerely doubt you'll wait for me to get better before you use me for whatever nefarious scheme you have in store".

Gritting her teeth in frustration as the insolent Devil called her bluff, Raynare took a moment to get her violent feelings under control before she flashed a smirk at her currently bound captive.

"All right you got me. But I must say, it's a shame really that you found wound up on the side of those low life Devils. If you hadn't I might have offered you a valued position within our ranks. You're clearly more balanced than Sellzen, though that's not exactly hard to do, and you clearly know how to use that Sacred Gear of yours, so I could have seen you making a name for yourself. But since you had to stick your nose in where it doesn't belong, I'm afraid that option is no longer on the table. Though I suppose if you asked really nicely, I could find it in my heart to keep you as pet".

Having expected to be the target of yet another poisonous glare from the imprisoned Devil, Raynare was caught off guard by the somewhat disturbing cackling that was now coming from her black haired captive.

"As tempting as that sounds, I'm afraid I'll have to decline your generous offer. Though my current circumstances are more irritating than I would have preferred, they are far preferable to being the plaything of some pathetic crow who's forced to rely on the help of escaped mental patients and sheltered nuns just so she can have a chance to impress her superiors".

Gritting her teeth in anger as she was forced to listen to the somewhat truthful mockery of the black haired Devil, Raynare didn't even bother to keep her tone civil as she sneered at her slow recovering captive.

"You'll pay for that. And let me assure you, by the time we're done extracting your Sacred Gear, you're going to be begging for the chance to become my 'pet'".

Knowing that she would be unable to restrain her more violent tendencies if she stayed in in Dante's prison cell for much longer, the scantily clad Fallen Angel shouted an anger filled order at her more compliant victim before turning her back on the heavily mismatched pair.

"Asia, stay here and finish up healing this pathetic excuse for a Devil. I have no desire to waste any more of my time trying to convince him of the worthiness of my cause. I trust that you can perform your task without my supervision"?

Not bothering to wait for a reply from the clearly terrified blonde, and doing her best to keep her temper under control as she sensed her captive's amusement, Raynare swiftly exited the room before she did something that would make all her efforts pointless.

Flinching as the sound of the slamming cell door echoed throughout the underground chamber, and unsure if she should be relieved at the departure of her mood swinging guardian, or terrified at being in all alone with someone who had previously tried to kill her for no reason at all, the former nun continued her appointed task of healing the restrained Devil.

Finding himself mildly annoyed with the submissiveness of the girl who was more or less responsible for the escalated tensions between himself and his perverted teammate, but also somewhat grateful for the fact that she was healing the worst of his injuries, Dante decided to remain silent since he believed that anything he could say would only serve to frighten the girl more than she already was.

However to the Devil's great surprise, his clearly devout medic proceeded to break the strained silence with a softly spoken question.

"I…is Issei ok"?

Though somewhat shocked at the girl's sudden attempt at bravery, and seeing that he had nothing to lose by talking with his blonde healer, Dante did his best to keep his voice bare of emotion, something that was rather difficult due to the pain that wracked his body, as he proceeded to answer her question.

"As far as I know. You'll understand if I'm not exactly on the best of terms with my fellow Devil. He is far to irritating to put up with in large doses".

Frowning as she proceeded to heal the broken bones in his arm, Asia managed to somehow overcome her earlier display of timidness as she berated the black haired Devil for his dismissive attitude.

"How can you say that? Issei is not only the kindest person I've ever met, but he's also the only one who hasn't treated me like an object that can be used and then easily discarded".

Snorting in amusement at the nun's rather naïve description of his perverted teammate, and somewhat impressed by her sudden display of defiance, Dante nevertheless decided to indulge his blonde healer by answering her question.

"How can I not? His stupidity is only rivalled by his perversity. And I assure you that if you were a member of the male persuasion, he probably wouldn't have spared you a second glance".

Though her upset expression conveyed just how much she appreciated Dante's description of his fellow Devil, Asia managed to surprise her slowly healing patient by once again summoning the necessary willpower to confidently stand up for her one and only friend.

"That's not true. Even if he is a Devil, I can tell that Issei's soul is as pure as a saint. Which is a lot more than I can say about you".

Stunned by the nun's sudden display of fierceness, and more than a bit amused by her reaction as she realised what she had just said, Dante managed to surprise the embarrassed looking blonde by reacting in manner that she had not expected.

"Though I believe you are mistaken when it comes to my perverted colleague, I have to admit that their might be some truth to your words regarding the state of my own soul. You don't survive what I have gone through without getting your soul a little dirty. But unlike Freed, who is no longer capable of caring whether his actions bring untold misery to others, I possess enough control over my mental facilities to recognize the difference between pointless bloodshed and committing a necessary evil".

Frowning as she considered Dante's reply to her uncharacteristically brazen comment, and having detected the barest traces of resentment in the black haired Devil's tone as he described the state of his soul, Asia decided to see if she could satisfy her own curiosity by softly asking a question that had been on her mind ever since she learned that she was no longer the only prisoner being held against their will.

"Last night, why did you try and kill me? I was no threat to you, and you could see that I wasn't on Freed's side. So why did you do it"?

Receiving nothing but silence from the impassive looking Devil, Asia resigned herself to continuing her work. But just as she was finishing healing the last of his injuries, this one being a particularly nasty one involving protruding bones, the nun got her answer.

"If you were still affiliated with the Church, I can assure you that I wouldn't have been so inclined to grant you a swift death. But since it was clearly obvious that you had been cast out, nobody would willingly work with Freed if they didn't have a choice, I decided that the kindest thing I could was put you out of your misery".

Eye's narrowing slightly as she tried to make sense of the reason behind the Devil's actions, Asia hesitantly voiced her confusion as she stared into the eyes of her watching patient.

"Yo…you mean that you only tried to kill me out of mercy"?

Nodding his head, and savoring the brief moment of painlessness that stemmed from his recently fixed leg, Dante proceeded to expand upon his answer.

"Mhmm. Considering that you wouldn't survive my preferred method of transportation, the fact that Freed would make you beg for death before he granted it, not to mention the whole plot to kill you just so some crow with delusions of grandeur can steal your ability, I think my methods, brutal though they may be, are in fact far kinder then whatever fate has in store for you".

Though she had to admit that there was some truth to the Devil's reasoning, for she herself had also begun to contemplate whether Death would have been a far kinder thing to experience than what she had been forced to endure, Asia was nevertheless unsatisfied with the answer she had received.

But before she could tell her now fully healed patient that his explanation was heavily flawed, for only a truly broken person could come up with such an answer, the door to the make shift prison cell swung open. Revealing a widely grinning Freed.

"Sorry to just burst in like this Inumbro, but the good sister has a schedule to keep, and since the boss lady is already in a bit of a foul mood, I wouldn't want to keep her waiting".

Glaring in contempt as the white haired exorcist rushed over to drag the terrified nun to whatever horrifying fate awaited her, Dante was rather surprised when he felt his healer grasp his wrist with a firm grip.

Seeing this momentarily show of defiance, Freed merely laughed as he tore the condemned nun away from her silently watching patient. And before he slammed the door to leave Dante once again alone with his thoughts, Freed flashed him an apologetic smile.

"Not to worry my friend. Your appointment with my superior's is right after this little slut's. So after I have some fun with her lifeless body, I'll return so we can enjoy one last moment together".

Not bothering to respond to the psychotic exorcist beyond a single disgusted glare, Dante allowed the echoes' of their departure to fade down the hallway as he once again did his best to endure the pain that wracked his body courtesy of the fedora wearing Fallen Angel.

But as he did his best to block out the intense feelings, the black haired Devil was struck by the oddest sensation that his body felt somewhat different from before.

And though it took him a moment to convince himself that what he was feeling wasn't a simple trick, Dante soon came to accept that while the rest of his body was coursing with the burning poison of light magic, one area in particular was oddly free from that pain. And as he slowly turned his head to better examine the unafflicted area, the barest traces of a smirk passed his face as he realized that he may have just been given the slimmest of chances to escape his torment.

…

 **And I think here is a good place to end the chapter :)**

 **Hopefully you all enjoyed this...particularly happy with Dante and Freed's interaction.**

 **Asia's role in this chapter, well got a lot of flak for having Dante pull a gun on her, but it all ties in with his backstory. Needed to set up a situation where Dante is more brutal than usual, then goes on to explain his actions in a manner that is at least somewhat plausible (i.e. Mercy Killing so Asia doesnt suffer at the hands of Freed). Logically I'm not going to kill Asia off, but needed to find a way that not only increases Issei's protectiveness, but also sets up a gradual thawing of Dante's coldness.**

 **As you might have guessed by now from the story, Dante's issues are linked to what he went through as a child, and I promise I will expand on that later.**

 **Not sure when the next update will be since I start school again next week, which means that the amount of time I can devote to fanfic is limited (espically since I have other stories on the go) But will start working on next chapter right away.**

 **Always looking to get a Beta Reader, so those who are interested please apply.**

 **Current pairings are:**

 **Issei: Asia, Koneko, Xenovia, Irina, Female Gasper, Ravel, Rossseweisse.**

 **Dante: Akeno, Rias, Serafall, Kuroka, Ophis, Sona, Female Vali (Raynare if she lives)**

 **As always, thanks for reading, and REVIEWS are a must :)**


	16. Chp 15 So I ran from the Devil

**Author's Note.**

 **Hey everybody, sorry for the long delay, orginal intentention was to have all of this as one chapter, but it being the holiday season and all that...here you go :)**

 **...**

Despite the amount of time it had taken her to reach this point, Raynare could only experience an understandable, if slightly twisted feeling of satisfaction as she surveyed the result of her labors.

"Let's see. An army of violent minions willing to do anything I ask of them. Check. One naïve nun bound in chains so I can extract her Sacred Gear. Check. My fellow Fallen Angels on security detail so I can perform this ceremony in peace".

"Unchecked".

Eye's narrowing in annoyance as she turned to face her fellow Fallen Angel, the well-endowed woman fought the urge to skewer him with a light spear as she stared into Dohanseek's smirking visage.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be patrolling the area so we don't have any unnecessary interruptions. Last thing we need is for the Devil's to find out what were up to".

Dismissing her concerns with a casual wave of his hand, the trench coat wearing angel's expression quickly gained a sadistic edge to it as he proceeded to explain the reason for his presence.

"I assure you that Kalawarner and Mittelt have it covered. And if by chance anyone happens to slip past their notice, I have Freed covering the upper levels so there's no need to worry about uninvited guests. But to answer your earlier question, I thought I had already made it clear. If you get to steal Twilight Healing from your young friend here, then I get to steal the powers of that disgusting trash of a Devil".

Hiding the sudden unease she felt at her comrade's words behind her usual mask of indifference, Raynare turned her attention to the bound nun as she tried to reassert control of the discussion.

"As long as nothing interrupts the ceremony then it doesn't matter who is standing guard. However, I will be the one to go first. Is that understood"?

Chuckling at the superior posturing of his fellow Fallen Angel, though inwardly he was seething at the fact that their superiors had designated the younger angel to lead the mission, Dohanseek decided that for the time being it would be wiser to adopt the role of a faithful subordinate.

"Whatever you say Raynare. Whatever you say".

Satisfied with his current display of deference, though she suspected that he was not being totally sincere, the buxom woman turned her attention away from her scheming comrade and focused it on the closest kneeling human.

"I trust that we are ready to begin the ceremony"?

Allowing just a hint of menace to creep into her tone as she addressed the snivelling human, Raynare allowed the barest hint of a smile to appear across her face as she listened to her servant's answer.

"Yes milady. Everything is prepared, and we only need your order to begin".

Pleased with the former priest's reply, and ignoring the pitiful pleas for mercy that were currently being spoken by her bound victim, the Fallen Angel moved to take her place in the centre of the rune carved floor, only to pause for a moment as she heard the whispered commands of her fellow conspirator.

"You two, while the rest of your cohorts are busy assisting lady Raynare with her ritual, I want you to prepare our other guest for his turn on the rack. I trust that I don't have to remind you what will happen if you fail me"?

Receiving hesitant nods from both of the robed exorcists, Dohanseek turned to leave the two humans to their task, only to stop mid stride as he heard the younger of his two servants offer up a nervous word of protest to their orders.

"But, Father Freed said that if anyone was to lay a finger on the Devil, he would do something to us that would make us beg to be crucified".

Doing his best to keep his temper under control at this show of defiance, the fedora wearing angel merely dismissed the human's concern with a casual flick of his hand.

"You would be wiser to be more concerned about what I will do to you if you continue to question my orders. Now hurry up and get that Devil scum ready before I decided to use the pair of you for target practise".

Smirking as the two exorcists scrambled to do his bidding, and seeing that Raynare was ready to begin the latest attempt to snag the attentions of their perverted leader, Dohanseek silently took up a position at the far side of the chamber. For while he was interested in his turn to claim a sacred gear for his own use, he had little desire to actively help his fellow Fallen Angel achieve her goals.

And besides, it had been some time since a ritual like this had been performed, so on the off chance that it turned into a debacle, he wanted to ensure that he had at least some opportunity to make an escape should the situation turn south.

But with his oddly matched teammates on patrol, the fact that he had a battle loving maniac to lead their army of cannon fodder, and a victim who couldn't move without experiencing the joys of heavy light poisoning, nothing could possibly go wrong.

….

"This is so unfair Kal. How come a slacker like Dohanseek gets to duck out of guard duty, while we, the hardest working members of our little group, have to stick it out here in the cold? It's not fair".

Sighing in annoyance as she listened to the constant complaining of the smaller Fallen Angel, Kalwarner summoned the remaining dregs of her rapidly deteriorating patience as she addressed the diminutive blonde.

"Quit complaining. We only have to put up with this for another hour, then we can get one of our human servants to do this task. Besides, I find it to be far safer our here than it is in there. Or do you think our comrades will be able to remain civil to each other as they try to determine who gets to go first with this little scheme of theirs. Better to freeze a little than get hit with an inaccurate light spear".

Grudgingly nodding her head with her more developed comrade, and rightfully suspecting that she was dangerously close to experiencing the effects of a light spear to the gut if she kept complaining, Mittelt wisely held her tongue as she focused her attention back to her appointed task.

In truth she didn't know why her more powerful comrades where going to such lengths to ensure the success of their mission. Despite the fact that the town's resident Devils were now alerted to their presence, apart from a case of mistaken identity courtesy of Dohanseek, the Fallen Angels had done nothing to violate the fragile truce that existed between their two races.

The nun with the healing abilities had been a member of their faction, which meant that there was no probable cause for the Devils to react negatively if they learned about their plans for the soon to be deceased girl. And that Devil they had taken prisoner was clearly a stray, which meant that none of the 3 factions would care if he experienced a death that was far from merciful.

Only down side she could see with their current mission was that regardless of the final outcome of this little foray into Devil territory, there were few if any chances for her efforts to be recognized, let alone rewarded with the gift of a stolen power. Sure she and her more 'gifted' companion would probably be listed as accomplices in this little scheme, but it would be Raynare and Dohanseek who received the glory, ensuring that they would rise through the ranks of the Grigori, while their companions remained amongst the rank and file.

Correctly guessing the direction of her companion's thoughts, for she herself had come to same conclusion after she had heard their male companion express an interest in finding out if their machine could extract a sacred from a Devil, Kalwarner chose to remain silent as she refocused her attention back to her appointed task.

In truth she didn't mind her current task since it allowed her to have a quick break from the ambitious schemes of her more unbalanced comrades, but she knew that such a reprieve was only temporary since a common trait of her kind was to arrogantly boast of their accomplishments.

But unfortunately for her, she would soon be spared that fate for something far more permanent.

"You know I never understood why you Fallen Angels constantly choose former places of worship as your base of operations. Never pegged your race as being overly nostalgic, but I suppose that even a disgraced species can get home sick every now and then. Don't you agree Akeno"?

Eye's widening in anger, and more than a little bit of fear as she heard the mocking tone of the very being she had been told to keep a watch for, Kalwarner's unease steadily grew as she heard an answering chuckle to previously spoken question.

"Fufufu, why yes I do Rias. But you shouldn't be too hard on them. I mean, it's not like they can just waltz into town and book a room in a nice hotel. Angels, whether their fallen or not, don't really have much in the way of common sense".

Gritting her teeth in frustration as she continued to hear her the hidden Devils continue to poke fun at her species, though she could have sworn that she detected a barely audible trace of venom in the second voice, the buxom Fallen Angel, along with her more childlike comrade, summoned a spear of light in her hands, ready to act as soon as the Devil's decided to show themselves.

Something which only caused the first Devil to chuckle in amusement.

"Now now there's no need for that. While I admit that I am rather tempted to 'clip your wings' I find myself a little pressed for time, so if you could kindly answer some of our questions, I'll allow you to leave with your lives, provided of course that you promise never to return".

Eyes narrowing as they listened to their still hidden adversaries, and doing their best not to betray the understandable nervousness they felt for their situation, the pair of Fallen Angels decided to go with the option that would allow them to maintain some dignity.

…

Though they were understandable nervous at what Freed would do to them once he discovered that they had violated his orders, the two former servants of God couldn't help but feel a growing sense of pride as they hurried to accomplish the task that they had been selected for.

While the Fallen Angels had always assignment their human underlings to perform the various tasks that allowed them to devote their full attention to completing their missions, very few of their servants were trusted with anymore more important than keeping their base clean. So to be singled out by one of their more powerful masters to fetch his chosen victim was deemed to be a high honor, though in actual fact the fedora wearing Fallen Angel had merely selected the two closest humans to the door.

Something which was completely oblivious to the two humans.

"Man can you believe this? Lord Dohanseek could have chosen anyone to fulfil this task, but instead he chose us".

Nodding in agreement with his younger companion, for he too felt blessed to have been chosen for this important task, the older exorcist offered a more tempered observation to their current circumstances.

"Indeed. It is a high honor to be singled out by one of our superiors. My only concern is that our masters' will be unable to fully shield us from the wrath of our more…driven comrade".

Shivering in understandable fear at what Freed would do to them for daring to touch their demonic prisoner, the younger exorcist was prevented from voicing his own opinion regarding their more blood thirsty comrade as he caught sight of something that made him begin to wish that Dohanseek had chosen someone else for this important task.

Sharing the younger exorcist's anxiety, but knowing that their might be a more reasonable explanation to their current circumstances, the former priest slowly began to move forward to the slightly open prison door.

Shocked out of his stupor by the sudden movement of his older companion, the younger ex priest cautiously followed, hoping that what they were about to discover wouldn't lead to their deaths at the hands of a certain Fallen Angel.

Pushing the door open with a slightly trembling hand, the pair of exorcists sighed in relief as they caught sight of still restrained Devil.

Judging that their superiors had simply forgotten to lock the door after their latest round of fun with the prisoner, the younger of the two robe wearing exorcists let loose a shaking laugh.

"Man that was close. Can you imagine what Lord Dohanseek would do to us if we let the prisoner escape? I know that we're kind of on God's bad side right now, but I can't help but thinking that his a miracle".

Nodding his head in agreement, for that thought had also crossed his mind when he had seen that the door to the cell had been left open, the older man soon refocused his attention back to the task at hand.

"Ok Devil scum, nap times over. Time to go".

Smirking as his older companion taunted their injured prisoner, the younger exorcist decided to join in on the fun after going through that thankfully brief moment of panic.

"Come on Devil boy. Time for you to pay for your sins. I know that God doesn't exactly look on us with favor these days, but I'm sure if you repent long enough, you might just get a chance to receive a mercif….grkkk".

His word's cut off by the sudden explosion of pain coming from his chest, and noticing that the now awake Devil was currently sporting a smirk of satisfaction, the former servant of god turned his head down and released a gurgling shout of horror at his discovery.

Pleased at the surprised look of terror that stemmed from learning that your chest had just been pierced by several strands of barb wire, but knowing that he only had a brief moment before the other exorcist's shock wore off, Dante flexed his recently healed hand and caused the same fate to befall the older former servant of God.

"I thank you for your kind considerations gentleman, but since I have no doubt that your about to be face to face with the very deity you so willfully rejected, I suggest you start using your remaining breath to repent your many sins".

Not bothering to wait for an answer from the pair of angelic lackeys, and feeling a tad inspired as he recalled that he had watched this very scenario play out on a late night movie, Dante could only watch in satisfaction as he willed the shadow created wire to tear the two exorcists apart.

Though he savored the fact that he had finally managed to get a little bit of retribution for what he had been forced to endure over the past few hours, the black haired Devil knew that he couldn't waste any more time if he was to make his escape.

Originally, it had been his plan to make his escape as soon as he had learned that the nun's healing powers had restored his ability to bend the shadows to his will, but that idea had been quickly discarded at the discovery that he could only use his right hand to access his powers.

Accepting his current limitations, he had soon thought of another plan that would not only allow him to be free of his prison, but would give him the chance to delay his pursuers once they discovered his absence.

Knowing that his plan required the element of surprise, and suspecting that the Fallen Angel's human lackeys would become careless if they had discovered that their worst fears had been unfounded, Dante had left the door to his prison cell open to give the illusion that he had escaped, only to be discovered to still be inhabiting his cell.

Deciding to congratulate himself for the success of his plan at a time when he didn't have to worry about power stealing crows, Dante focused the entirety of his concentration towards the next part of his escape plan.

Clenching his teeth in pain as he felt the shadows engulf his still poisoned body, though it was far more manageable now thanks to the fact that his bones were no longer broken, Dante began the process of finally freeing himself from his less than stellar situation.

His only regret was that his escape prevented him from taking his revenge against those directly responsible for his condition. But in the end he needn't have worried.

For revenge would soon be his.

…

After all the hardship he had gone through, in the end it had been for nothing.

His defiance of his buxom master, the fight against Freed and his fellow former servants of God. All meaningless as he stared with tear filled eyes at the lifeless body of the girl who he had failed to protect.

"She didn't deserve this. None of it. If only I was a little faster, a little stronger, I could have saved her".

Sensing his fellow Devil's distress, and knowing what it felt like to have one's friends torn away from them because of another's selfish goals, Kiba moved to console the crying Issei before he could slip deeper into depression.

"It's not your fault Issei. None of this is your fault".

Shrugging off the blonde's attempt at comfort with a digested snarl, Issei caught sight of the fleeing woman who was responsible for not only his death, but also the murder of the nun who had managed to maintain a positive outlook despite all the horror she had been subjected to.

And even though he knew that he had only the sliminest of chances of beating Raynare while she possessed the ability to heal herself, for Asia's sake, he was going to try.

"You guys stay here. I have some unfinished business with the Fallen Angel, and I don't want you to get in my way".

…

Understanding the pain that was clearly coursing through his fellow Devil at this point in time, for he would react the same when presented with the opportunity to finally gain vengeance for what had been done to him and his friends, Kiba merely nodded to show his support before he turned his attention back towards his human opponents.

While lacking the strength to face them on numerical even terms, the exorcists were nevertheless numerous enough to pose a challenge for both him and his white haired teammate. And while he was confident that they would emerge victorious against their human opponents, it would still take some time before they could join up with their perverted comrade.

But as luck would have it, his timetable would be sped up considerably, albeit in a manner that he had not suspected.

….

Though it had been his original intention to escape from the forsaken church without being detected, the sudden appearance of his comrades had inspired him to take a much different approach with those who had aided in his capture.

While he was still too weak to confront any enemy directly, courtesy of the light magic that still coursed through his veins, the fact that the exorcists were concentrating their attentions elsewhere presented him with the perfect opportunity to strike while their backs were turned.

Keeping to the shadows so he could strengthen his partially non corporeal form, and judging that it would be a more efficient use of his remaining energy if he refrained from using his preferred technique, Dante ignored the slight spasm of pain that passed through his body as he watched his deadly creation do its work.

...

 **Hoped you all enjoyed that.**

 **Apologises for the wait...but writers block/Other stories...life...got in the way lol.**

 **Will strive to continue working on the second part so the wait isnt as long.**

 **PLZ review..flamers not welcome.**


	17. Chp16 Church Reunions

He had seen many strange things ever since he had been reincarnated as a servant of the House of Gremory.

Monstrous beings that served as a reminder of what could happen to him if he ever abandoned his master, the most powerful Devils in the underworld acting like overgrown children before their more collected servants/family members scolded them for their behavior, though that seemed to be ineffective when it came to Lady Leviathan. And even a human being whose lust could put even a Devil to shame, and was now using his new life to reach the status of harem king.

But never before had been placed in a position where he got to witness the simultaneous deaths of his opponents without having to rely on his own skills.

One minute he was calmly staring down the challenging glares of at least a dozen fallen exorcists, with his trusty white haired comrade at his side, the next he was treated to the sight of a small, rapidly flying object pass through the throats of those who had been cast out by the Church.

While his eye's desperately sought for the one responsible for this unexpected, but nonetheless appreciated intervention, the monotone voice of the white haired rook alerted him that she had already pinpointed their helper's whereabouts.

"You're late".

Following Koneko's line of sight as she stared unwavering at a particularly darkened corner of the chamber, Kiba had to admit he was slightly unnerved by the echoing chuckle that answered the rook's accusation.

"That tends to happen when your hosts do their utmost to keep you as a guest Koneko. But I believe that in this case the saying 'better late than never' applies. Or would you have preferred me to ignore your situation while I made my way upstairs"?

Seeing Koneko smirk at her fellow rook's slightly mocking reply, the blonde knight found his eye's widening in surprise as he caught sight of Dante's appearance.

While he had expected his fellow Devil to be treated unkindly during his brief stay with his enemies, the state of his injuries, not to mention the fact that Dante's body appeared to be partly made of flickering smoke, resulted in an image that made the blonde knight's usually collect composure crack.

"What on earth did they do to you"?

Receiving a grin from the partially non corporeal Devil, though he suspected that the expression was somewhat forced judging by the almost unnoticeable way Dante's eyes twitched in pain from the rather simple expression, Kiba didn't bother to keep himself from flinching as his fellow Devil provided him with a rather blunt answer.

"Oh, about what you'd expect from a psychotic man child and his sadistic supervisor. Light poisoning, beatings, broken bones, and of course the endless boasting how I am an inferior insect that was fortunate enough to be squashed by a superior being. Think that was worse than the actual torture come to think of it".

Unsure he should be more shocked by Dante's dismissive attitude towards his experience, or the methods which their enemies used to try and break his fellow Devil, Kiba was prevented from offering any further comment by the unmistakable sound of combat raging above him.

"Judging from the noise above us, and the fact that the nun is currently displayed like the world's most famous martyr, I assume that the pair of you allowed Hyoudou to try and avenge his dearly departed clergywoman"?

Frowning at his comrade's observation, not because it was inaccurate, but because it possessed a spark of amusement that was almost similar in nature to that rather uncouth priest, Kiba nevertheless found himself nodding in agreement with the still non solid Devil.

"Yes. Rias said that the only way in which Issei could grow as a Devil, as well as an individual, would be to confront the person responsible for the current pain in his life. I don't necessarily agree with this approach since he's still inexperienced and likely to get heavily injured, but I can't deny that getting some closure would be good for him".

Receiving a thoughtful hum from the male rook, Kiba was greatly surprised, and more than a tad worried, by the sudden supportive tone of the shadow controlling Devil.

"I couldn't agree more Kiba. While I sincerely doubt that Hyoudou had entirely pure intentions towards his tragically deceased friend, I cannot deny that the loss of the only pure thing in his life would be a sufficient enough motivator for him to grow a spine. Revenge is a rather powerful incentive, don't you think"?

Once again nodding his head in agreement with his fellow Devil, for his desire to avenge his friends was the primary motivation to keep moving forward, Kiba found himself frowning in concern as Dante's tone quickly gained a more ominous edge.

"In fact, I think I'll join our perverted comrade in punishing those naughty crows. Can't let Hyoudou have all the fun, and I do believe I have a better reason for venting my displeasure on my hosts".

And without bothering to wait for a reply from his shocked looking comrades, Dante quickly disappeared through one of the many cracks that laid across the ceiling.

Knowing that Dante stood a very good chance of getting killed in his injured state, though how their enemies would be able to harm him in his current state he had no clue, the blonde knight flashed a determined look at the equally focused rook.

For despite his less than sociable attitude towards them, though he treated them with more respect than Issei or even their master, Dante was still one of them. And even though they knew the black haired rook would be less than appreciative for their interference, they were not willing to simply stand by and let one of their own get killed.

….

Despite the fact that they were currently losing most, if not all of their human minions, and the fact that they had only managed to successfully obtain the sacred gear of only one of their captives, the two Fallen Angels remained fairly optimistic about their current chances.

For while they held no doubt that the invading Devils would be able to defeat the former exorcists, especially since they had managed to defeat their most skilled, not to mention psychotic minion, the fact remained that the two former servants of God possessed the upper hand.

Though it didn't double the amount of power she already possessed, or bestowed upon her the ability to manipulate the surrounding shadows into whatever it was she desired, Raynare was still rather pleased with her stolen sacred gear.

The ability to heal any wound prove to be a valued resource once the tensions between the Three Factions resulted in the resumption of open warfare, especially since the Fallen Angels, unlike the Devils, lacked the ability to rebuild their much depleted ranks with human converts.

Already she was picturing the pleased expression that would surely be upon her beloved leader's face once she told him of her success, and perhaps she would finally be able to rise to a position that was far more worthy of her talents than her usual observe and retrieve missions.

Dohanseek on the other hand, while still confident in their inevitable victory over the intruding Devils, was displaying far more caution than his obsessing female companion.

For unlike Raynare, the fedora wearing angel possessed no stolen sacred gear to increase his usefulness in a combat situation, meaning that he had to rely on his wits, and the element of surprised in order to prevent his opponents from inflicting any substantial wounds on his person.

To that end, the Fallen Angel had chosen to position himself high up in the dimly lit rafters of the abandoned church, leaving his scantily dressed comrade blissfully unaware of his presence while she continued to lounge upon one of the few undamaged pews, admiring her new ability.

In the end his caution turned out to be the correct one, even if the events turned out to be far different than expected.

For who should disturb the relative peace and quite of the crumbling church than the former human who had been so easily fooled by Raynare's rather competent acting skills.

At first Donhanaseek thought of making his presence known just so he could lay claim to the lowly Devil's Sacred Gear. For although a Twice Critical was a rather disappointing ability compared to abosolute healing or shadow manipulation, it was better than nothing.

However, before he could swoop down and stab the clearly enraged boy from up high, an all too familiar voice broke his concentration.

"You know, lounging about in the roost of the church isn't exactly the right way to go if you're trying to distance yourself from the avian jokes my fallen friend. But then again, I never really pegged you for having a high amount of intelligence, so I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised that you're hiding all the way up here".

Quickly turning around to face the direction where the voice had come from, the Fallen Angel was shocked, and more than a little afraid to see that there was nothing there.

Of course that only served to encourage the congenial voice of his now free victim.

"You'll have to forgive me for my lack of appearance Crow, but since our time together has left me in a rather unfortunate condition, I deemed that it would more appropriate to converse in this form".

Eye's desperately searching for any sign of his former prisoner, Dohanseek barely had time to let out a muffled scream of terror before he found his airways completely blocked by the unseen grip of the Devil.

"You knows it funny. Despite the fact that I only adopted my current state in order to numb the pain you subjected me to, I find my ability to utilize my powers is greatly enhanced while in this form. And since you've made it quite clear the length's you're willing to go to in order to have this power inside of you, I find myself most eager in fulfilling your wish".

Gasping in relief after the invisible grip on his neck had been removed, though he quickly found this to be a brief respite as the bottom part of his face was quickly covered with a tendril of shadow, the Fallen Angel could only give a muffled scream of very real terror as his limbs were once again restrained by the flesh ripping barbs of the Devil's snake like wire.

….

Despite the fact that she had just been provided clear evidence that her former target was no longer the pathetic weakling he had been as a human, Raynare refused to acknowledge the fact that she was beaten.

While her injuries were numerous, far more then she had ever experienced before, she still possessed the Sacred Gear that would allow her to heal any injury, which meant that if she waited for a chance to drop his guard, she could still manage to beat him.

Unfortunately for her however, that option was quickly taken from her as comrades of that disgusting pervert decided to join their rather violent reunion.

Being the arrogant creatures that they were, the Devil's couldn't help but gloat about their victory, taking great pleasure to describe the ways in which they dealt with her servants and comrades. But as the red haired bitch revealed to the assembled group that her servant possessed one of the Sacred Gears that had the power to take out her wrathful father, the Fallen Angel felt something wet hit her arm.

Angling her head to try and get a better look at what it was, Raynare's eyes narrowed in confusion when she caught sight of what it was that hit her.

There was no mistaking that the dark crimson liquid that had stained her arm was blood, but what troubled her greatly was the fact that she could tell it wasn't hers. Bruised she might have been, but her use of Twilight Healing had quickly dealt with any wound that could have resulted in her losing her precious life fluids.

But as she pondered the mystery of whose blood it belong to, another drop hit her hand. And just as she began to lift her head in order to confirm her suspicions, the Fallen Angel let out a very real scream of terror as the shredded body of her fedora wearing ally dropped right in front of her.

…..

Despite sharing the same mixture of surprise and disgust of her peerage at seeing the mutilated body of the Fallen Angel, though she suspected that Akeno also felt a bit of fear considering the mixed blood that ran through her veins, Rias managed to keep her cool as she addressed the one responsible for this brutality.

"You can come out now Dante. Despite the rather grissly proof of your distaste for the Fallen Angels, I can assure you that there is no reason for you to hide. Especially given the state of your body right now".

Though Kiba had warned her about the current state of her rook's body, Rias nevertheless still let out a gasp of horror as Dante slowly materialized in front of her. Most of his limbs were bent in ways they had not been intended to, his face carried heavy bruising, and even though his body was partly composed of shadows, Dante failed to hide the brief twitch of pain that crossed his features every time he moved.

Noticing the look of pity he was receiving from his red haired master, and feeling far less inclined to play the role of a dutiful servant, Dante offered a mocking grin at the full blooded Devil as he proceeded to vent some of his more volatile feelings.

"Such consideration Rias. Especially when this entire mess is largely your fault. Perhaps if you had been a tad more on the ball, the pervert would still have his nun, and I wouldn't have to deal with fact that my entire body feels like its melting from the inside. But your personal assurance is much appreciated".

Knowing that his outburst would probably result in further punishment being inflicted on his body, for he suspected that Rias would be less than pleased to deal with his usual snark, especially when he was in no real condition to stand against an opponent without the element of surprise, Dante was prevented from hearing the red head's reply thanks to the frantic pleading of a certain fallen angel.

"PLEASE LET ME GO! I PROMISE YOU'LL NEVER SEE ME AGAIN. I'LL EVEN GIVE YOU THE SACRED GEAR I STOLE FROM THE GI…GRKKK.".

Shaking her head in slight amusement at the predictable outcome of having a defeated and pleading enemy, though in truth she was somewhat grateful to have a moment to process Dante's rather hurtful comment, Rias sighed as she waved her hand at her white haired rook.

"I appreciate the fact that you're not the most patient of Devils Koneko, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask you to let her go".

Receiving a curt nod from her petite servant, who promptly dropped the chocking angel back to the ground, Rias turned her attention back towards her still semi solid rook.

"Despite what you may think Dante, I had no intention of allowing things to progress as far as they've have. So I hope you can forgive me when I say that I am sorry for letting any harm come to you".

For a moment she was worried that the shadow controlling Devil would reject her offer, for his expression betrayed nothing of what he was thinking internally. However to her great relief, he inclined his head forward to show that her apology was accepted.

"I suppose I can find it within myself to do as you asked. Though I confess I'd find it much easier to forgive you if you somehow managed to help me with my little poisoning problem".

Grateful that she had managed to extract an acceptance to her apology, reluctant though it might have been, Rias nodded her head in gratitude before posing a solution to Dante's current difficulties.

"I believe that is more than doable. I trust that remaining in that…state for the time being isn't too much of a hardship? Because while I know what I need to do to heal you, I'm afraid I can't do it this very moment".

Left unsaid was the fact that she was concerned about how much pain her rook would be in if he became solid again. But luckily for the red haired heiress, Dante was able to pick up on what she meant.

Receiving a single nod from the shadow controlling Devil to show that she was not only correct in her assumption, but also that he appreciated her concern for his well being, Rias turned her attention back towards the sobbing Fallen Angel.

…..

Despite having long since rejected her heritage in favor of embracing her new life, the raven haired queen of Rias Gremory couldn't help the mixed feelings that were coursing through her as she watched the spectacle in front of her.

On one hand, her sadistic side was gaining immense enjoyment at the sight of a previously confident Fallen Angel beg for her pitiful life, as well as the barely conscious bloody lump of flesh that her black haired comrade had used to announce his presence.

But on the other hand, Akeno felt the familiar sense of disgust whenever she was forced to interact with the race HE belonged to, as well as a creeping sense of fear that perhaps her new teammates would hate her because she had crow blood running through her veins.

Both of them had lost their humanity because of the actions of the Fallen Angels, and it was because of those belonging to her former race that they had experienced a pain that they should have never had to endure.

Issei would probably be able to get over this experience relatively quickly once Rias managed to resurrect the blonde nun, though she suspected that he would devote his energies to ensure that nothing could harm her as long as he could help it.

Was kind of endearing in its way, as well as amusing because he would probably have to make a conscious effort to control his perversity. Something that would no doubt be put to test since the nun would probably be clingy to the man who came to her rescue.

Dante on the other hand would probably take much longer to put this behind him, and for good reason. Of course she held on to the hope that he would see her as an individual and not a member of the race that tortured him, but in order for that to happen, she would have to strengthen her tenuous relationship with him.

But such plans would have to be put on hold for the moment. For Rias was doing her cruel good cop routine. And despite the fact it could use some work, it was always interesting to watch.

….

"Good evening Fallen Angel Raynare. I must admit that my original intention was to simply let you leave my territory unharmed, but considering the pain you've inflicted on my adorable servants, I'm afraid that such an option is no longer available to you".

Not bothering to conceal his satisfaction at Raynare's fearful appearance, though he suspected that her current unease had something to do with the barely alive body of her fellow crow, Issei kept his piece as Rias continued to torment his fallen enemy.

"Of course I suppose I can be persuaded to spare you the fate of your comrade. Cause apart from taking advantage of my pawn's nativity, and stealing the sacred gear of his church going friend, you haven't really done anything to deserve a slow agonizing death. Speaking of which, Dante could you do something to put him out of his misery? I sort of need Akeno to be focused right now, and your version of bondage play might get in the way of that".

Turning his attention towards the raven haired beauty, who indeed has a slightly flushed expression on her face as she witnessed Dante's latest display of sadism, Issei fought the urge to cringe as he heard the black haired Devil's reply to his master's suggestion.

"As you wish Rias. Well, you heard the lady. Which we could have spent more time together crow, but I believe that this is where we part ways".

And though such a thing should have been impossible given his own current history with the fallen soldiers of God, Issei couldn't help but feel sorry for the Fallen Angel as Dante proceeded to end the life of his tormentor.

Of course, he rightly suspected that the manner of execution would be something far more brutal if Dante didn't have an audience. But watching the shadow controlling Devil decapitate the Fallen Angel with a wave of his hand was more than enough for the boy who had until recently been unaware of the supernatural world.

"A little more brutal than expected Dante, but I suppose I can't complain. Now, back to the matter at hand. I trust you already know who I am Fallen Angel"?

Though it was difficult to due given his past history with the deceitful girl, Issei managed to keep himself from lashing out at her as she went from gloating of her supposed superiority, to begging for her life.

Only when she tried to appeal to his sense of mercy did he finally break his stony silence.

"Mercy? You want mercy from me Yuman? I would have done anything for you. You were the first girl I had ever met that hadnt treated me like I was a walking disease. But it was all an act wasnt it? You played with my feelings like they were nothing. You killed a girl who had never had anything but a kind word for anyone. And expect me to show you mercy? Think again".

Turning his gaze away from the woman who had betrayed him so viciously, Issei focused his attention on the still body of Asia as his master proceeded to cast her judgment.

"Fallen Angel Raynare. For the crimes you have committed against my servants, I'm afraid that there is only one suitable punishment that I can accept".

Keeping his back turned as he heard the familiar sound of a sphere of destruction being formed, Issei readied himself to hear Raynare's final cry of protest, but that never came as his black haired teammate decided to interfere before the final blow was struck.

"Apologies for getting in the way of your punitive actions Rias, but I do believe that I should have a say in how you decide to punish Raynare".

Eyes widening in disbelief at his comrade's sudden display of mercy, and more than a little enraged that Raynare had a chance to enjoy an additional moment of life when such a courtesy hadn't been extended to Asia, Issei, turned the full weight of his glare towards his shadow controlling teammate.

"And how the hell did you come to that conclusion? Cause from what I remember, I was the one that got killed by her, and it was MY friend who got tortured to death just because she wanted her sacred gear. So please tell me why you should get a say in this".

Receiving a look that clearly stated that his fellow Devil thought little of his intelligence, and doing his best to ignore the look of consideration that had come over his buxom master, Issei grit his teeth as Dante provided him with some reasons that could not be overlooked.

"Well let's see, it's thanks to her failure to listen to my advice that resulted in the loss of both of our humanity's, though I admit she played a more direct role in your demise than mine. And even if she hadn't done anything to me while I was held captive here, she happened to be the leader of the ones responsible for torturing me, so I do believe that I should get SOME say in what her eventual fate should be".

Though he hated to admit it, Issei had to concede that Dante did have some valid arguments to support his case. However that didn't mean that he had to be happy about.

"And don't even try to say that she deserves to be killed for murdering your nun. Or did you forget that our master has the ability to bring someone back from the dead".

Glaring at the rather dismissive manner in which the black haired rook discussed the fate of the innocent nun, though in truth he was rather grateful at the reminder that a chance existed for Asia to be brought back to life, Issei was prevented from offering a reply by the inquisitive sounding voice of his master.

"And what fate would you have me inflict on her Dante? I sincerely doubt that you're in a particularly forgiving mood towards your former captor, but you seem unwilling to send her to her eternal reward. So I'm curious to know what you want to do with her".

Unsure if he was more annoyed at the fact that Rias was considering to spar the hopeful looking Fallen Angel, or the fact that she seemed to be paying more attention to the black haired rook rather than himself, Issei found himself opening his mouth in shock as Dante gave his answer.

"I think it would prove to be rather…cathartic if you entrusted the fallen bitch into my care. She IS the one responsible for my current situation, and despite your seemingly genuine attempts to treat me well, I would have vastly preferred to retain my independence".

Shocked that Dante would still harbor resentment towards their beautiful master for turning him into a Devil, the brown haired pawn turned his attention towards Rias, who was currently wearing a slight frown as she considered her rook's idea.

"Despite your continued displeasure at your situation Dante, though I am somewhat glad that it isn't as intense as it was, I have to ask you if this is the truly the route you want me to take? While I am more than confident that your abilities will enable you to keep her in line, I can't help but think it would be wiser to deal with her in a more permanent fashion".

Nodding his head to show that he fully agreed with Rias's line of thought, Issei shot a glare at the black haired Devil as he came up with a reply that managed to amuse the rest of the Gremory Peerage.

"I assure you Rias it will not be a problem. Unlike Hyoudou, it takes more than a pretty face an a well develop body to get me to lower my guard. Speaking of which, since the pervert is likely going to be an insufferable annoyance until the nun is restored to her former glory, I suppose I should do my part in paying back my debt".

Frowning in confusion at Dante's announcement, something which was shared by everyone except for the girl…no the creature responsible for killing the most innocent person he had ever met, Issei was treated to a sight that looked like it was straight out of a horror porn combo.

Shadowy tendrils wrapping around Raynare's arms and legs to keep her from fleeing, and a particularly vicious looking like tentacle forcing its way down her throat, any other time Issei would be grinning with glee at such a sight. But now he could only feel a sense of disgust, horror, and oddly enough pity as he watched all this happen to Raynare.

As soon as it began, the highly disturbing display was quickly brought to an end as the Fallen Angel's limbs released, and the pair of green glowing rings were withdrawn from the chocking girl's throat.

Doing his best not to shiver in fear at the spectacle he had just witnessed, the brown haired Devil soon found his spirits restored as the rings were placed into the hands of his buxom master, who swiftly proceeded to place them and a chess piece on the body of the innocent nun.

However, while he was overjoyed at the sight of a newly revived Asia, who proceeded to tearfully embrace him in a manner that clearly told him how much he meant to her, the heartwarming moment was brought to an end by the sudden collapse of the shadow controlling Devil.

…

 **ANNNNNND I THINK I WILL LEAVE IT HERE FOR NOW XD. Hopefully you can forgive the cliff hanger ending lol.**

 **FINALLY finished the first story arc of Highschool DXD...too far longer than expected, but other stories have taken up my time, plus that little thing called life, but glad to have finally gotten this out of the way.**

 **Hopefully everyone doesnt have a problem with Raynare's continued survival, at least for the moment :P...but had envisioned this sort of scene from happening ever since I saw/read the series. And of course...more than a few stories also end up sparing her XD.**

 **As for Dante's reaction upon being rescued, he is currently dealing with a lot of pain right now. He's still dealing with his place within the peerage, but he's getting there. However will say this...This will not be the last time he acts like this. Intend to have a few more violent tantrums XD.**

 **As for Dohanseek...well...he's dead. Hopefully you can forgive me for not being to graphic with the details of his torture. But for those who need more clarification of what happened to him...well let me put it like this...Watch the scene from Silent Hill Movie where Alessa kills Christabella. LOTS of my ideas came from that lol.**

 **Anyways…Hopefully you all enjoyed this, and will begin working on a new chapter soon.**

 **As always…REVIEWS YES….Flames NO XD**


	18. Chp 17 Day After

Despite possessing a slightly well-deserved reputation for impulsiveness, and perhaps more than a little forwardness, the black furred feline still possessed the same quality that all long lived creatures possessed.

Patience.

Such a skill had allowed her to endure the heart breaking decision to leave her beloved sister in the hands of the Devils, and had helped shape her desire to find only the best male candidate for helping her to rebuild her race.

She had already found a few worthwhile candidates for that particular honor, but so for one reason or another she had been unable to capitalize on this.

Apart from his sister, which she supposed she had to respect, Pendragon was far too interested in finding a suitable rival to practice his sword swinging skills against instead of a worthwhile bedding companion. Which meant that any attempt to get into his pants was largely pointless.

Bikou, while strong, was far too immature for her liking. And there was no point to rebuilding an entire race if the next generation would end up dooming themselves thanks to ingrained childishness.

The Vanishing Dragon, while ideally suited for her purposes, was unfortunately still taking orders from the lecherous leader of the Fallen Angels. Which meant that he was currently off the market, at least for the time being.

And then there was the final candidate who had at least experienced the joys of sleeping in the same bed as her.

Of course it was far from the hot and sweaty nocturnal activity that she had fantasized about, but since her shape changing boss had given her strict instructions to remain in her miniature form unless she was told otherwise, she was denied from scratching that particular itch.

That being said, she had found herself to be enjoying her time spying on the black haired Devil, even if he had been too lazy to call her anything accept cat or feline.

He was always respectful. Never gave her the idea that she was unwelcome. And to top it all off, his shadow manipulating powers gave her some fantastic ideas of what they would try out once she convinced him to try and make a baby with her.

But sad to say, such fun would only be possible after Ophis gave her the go ahead to reveal herself. And until that time, she would have to put up with having her well put together target getting some female attention from other buxom beauties.

It was rather fortunate for him that she recognized that he wasn't attracting there notice intentionally. Otherwise she was quite certain that she would start to use him as a mobile scratching post.

Still, that didn't mean that she had to be happy with him spending the night with the master of her beloved Shirone.

And as she glared in the direction of the apartment's sole bedroom, the black furred cat could only think up of how else she could get back at the moody Devil for denying her her favorite pillow.

…..

Despite the fact that such a thing should not be possible given his preferred decorating style, Dante was roused from his oddly peaceful slumber thanks to the invasive beams of light that were streaming through his uncovered window.

Feeling particularly lazy, and having no desire to cover his head with his pillow, the black haired Devil settled for turning his face away from the window, and instantly became aware that his morning routine had yet again been interrupted.

For laying across from him, her eyes closed in gentle slumber, was the nude form of one of the more persistent irritants in his life.

However before he could voice his objection to having his personal space violated yet again, though unlike last time he could at least restrain himself from lashing out violently, the red haired Devil did something to him that he knew would make the pervert jealous.

For instead of turning on her side to shield herself from the warming rays of the sun, Rias instead chose to utilze his body as her own personal pillow. Which result in a very clear reminder that the buxom Devil had a penchant for sleeping nude.

However, while Issei would have been content to simply enjoy the sensation of being embraced by a naked female, let alone one as busty as the Gremory heiress, Dante was far more willing to ruin the unattended intimate moment by trying to struggle free.

"uuhhh...it's too early for this. Go back to sleep".

Having no desire to do so until he was free, but conscious of the fact that Rias had just strengthened her grip on him, Dante decided to utilize an option that had been unavailable to him the last time this had happened.

Taking a calming breath to steady his nerves, for as a Devil he had yet to use this technique during the day time, Dante soon felt the familiar sensation of his body adopting an almost liquid like form. And spending only a brief moment to congratulate himself on his success, he quickly slithered out of Rias's now empty arms before reforming himself in the center of the room.

"I don't believe I will Rias. Not until you explain WHY you're once again invading my personal space. Or for that matter how the hell you got in here. I know how to keep unwanted vistors from teleporting into my bedroom, so it makes me curious as to how you could have gotten in here".

Raising an eyebrow in amusement at her black haired servant, Rias nevertheless answered his question

"Are you forgetting that I already know where you live? You may be able to keep me from teleporting directly into your rather cozy apartment, but even while carrying your unconscious body, I can still easily force my way in through the front door".

Taking a moment to enjoy the rather shocked expression of her black haired servant, for it was clear that Dante had forgotten that little detail, Rias decided to mix business with pleasure as she proceeded to have a little bit more fun with the Rook.

"Still I suppose you have some cause to be annoyed with the current situation. I mean, you did black out after your rather unique way of extracting Twilight Healing, so its understandable that you have some confusion. Oh by the way, it might be best if you avoided Akeno for a while. I don't believe I have to explain why you should do so"?

Smirking at Dante's momentary blanch expression, though she was uncertain whether it was because he was nervous or annoyed at being the target of Akeno's teasing, Rias fought the urge to giggle as her now fully composed servant replied to her oberservation.

"No you do not. Though I suppose I could take advantage of her new found interest for my benefit".

Though she was pleasantly surprised by Dante's willingness to interact with the most trusted member of her peerage, Rias nevertheless narrowed her eyes at the black haired Devil's tone.

"And what precisely do you mean by that Dante"?

Recognizing the hidden danger within his master's tone as she asked him that question, Dante hurried to explain himself. Though for reasons Rias could not have predicted.

"I mean that if Akeno is currently showing a willingness to spend some time in my company, I might as well see if she can begin my lessons in using my new found Devil power. The past few days have kinda highlighted my needed to expand upon my list of skills. And since I have no desire to EVER be in that situation again, not to mention the fact that she has already expressed an interest in training me, the sooner I start the better".

Her expression becoming slightly downcast at the reminder of what her servant had gone through, though she was pleased that Dante was willing to increase his interaction with the rest of her peerage, Rias nevertheless nodded her head in approval.

"I think that would be wise. She might be a tad…enthusiastic with her training technique, but she is an effective teacher for those who genuinely want to improve. You might want to ask Koneko for help as well. As your senior when it comes to utilizing the base abilities of a rook, her aid will prove to be invaluable".

Nodding his head to show that he would follow his master's advice, Dante turned his head as Rias raised herself from his bed.

"Speaking of the stat boosting skills of your evil pieces, might I enquire as to why you decided to yet again use your…unique method of healing? I would have thought that by adding the healing nun to your ranks, you wouldn't need to use THIS particular way of getting me back on my feet".

Pouting in annoyance at Dante's less than grateful attitude towards her efforts to get him back on his feet, though part of it might have stemmed from the fact that her undressed state was inspiring none of the enthusiastic responses she would have certainly received from her one and only pawn, Rias nonetheless answered his question.

"Considering the extent of your injuries, both internally and externally, I felt it would be prudent if I used all methods of healing at my disposal. Since you knocked yourself unconscious after helping to unite Asia with her Sacred Gear, I had no way of knowing if she managed to cure everything. And being the responsible caring master that I am, I decided to ensure that you were completely healed by devoting my valuable time to your recovery. I trust that unlike the last time we were in this situation, you felt no pain when using your abilities"?

Receiving a small grudging nod from her black haired servant, Rias fought the urge to smile as Dante offered up his gratitude in his usual manner.

"None what so ever. Though I am uncertain if that is due to the pervert's pet nun, or you're exhibitionist technique. I imagine that Hyoudo became quite upset when he learned about your preferred method of healing"?

Chuckling as she remembered Issei's jealous reaction, the crimson haired heiress nodded her head.

"As a matter of fact he did. And to tell you the truth it was rather fortunate that he befriended a girl who possesses the ability to heal anything. Otherwise he would still be suffering from the displeasure of Koneko and my new bishop".

Gaining a snort of amusement from her shadow controlling rook, Rias was largely unsurprised, though still somewhat disappointed by Dante's lack of respect towards her perverted pawn.

"Let me guess. He said something that revolves around his inability to attract worthwhile attention from females with more developed figures and a more open minded attitude. I'm surprised that he managed to become friends with the nun in the first place. Even if she's been kicked out, its clear that she still has their teachings".

Though she, and probably the rest of her peerage shared those exact thoughts regarding Issei and his slightly unusual relationship with the innocent blonde nun, Rias prevented herself from doing more than nodding in agreement with Dante's observation before addressing another concern.

"Speaking of your newest comrade in arms, I trust that you have no intention of treating her like you treat Issei? I recognize that you're not the most social of individuals, but Asia is a sweet girl despite all she's gone through, so I would appreciate it if you did your best to treat her kindly".

Allowing just a hint of warning to enter her tone as she proceeded to put on her discarded clothing, Rias allowed a small smile of relief to spread across her face as she heard Dante's answer.

"Considering that it was only thanks to her that I managed to free myself and take some manner of revenge against my captors, not to mention the fact that she was no longer affiliated with the Church before you revived her, I suppose I can find it within myself to do as you request".

Pleased at the concession she managed to obtain from her moody servant, Rias's expression quickly turned slightly mischievous as she decided to clue in her rook to his current condition.

"Glad to hear it. Now, since we have a lot to do to this morning before we head off to school, I suggest that it might be prudent to get some clothes on. Not that I don't appreciate the view, but I think you'd be more comfortable in your regular attire instead of a simple pair of boxers".

Casting a look down on himself to verify the crimson haired Devil's claims, and allowing his eye to lightly twitch in annoyance as he saw that his current state amused his now smirking master, responded to Rias's suggestion with a wave of his hand.

It never failed to impress her just how much control Dante had over his shadow manipulating abilities. While she was certain that he had every intention in dressing in his usual dark colored clothing after she gave him some privacy, the robe he managed to create with merely a thought, while thin and black in color, nevertheless was a physical thing that served its purpose.

Tying it closed while he shot an annoyed glare at his master, though he acknowledged that at least she had the decency not to turn the other way as he put it on, Dante decided to ask her a question that had been bugging him since she revealed what happened after his blacking out.

"Since we're still on the topic of our late night church meeting, care to tell me what happened to the surviving leaders of that little group of outcasts? Cause I recall that you and Akeno took care of 2 of the crows, Koneko and Kiba managed to take out a fair number of exorcists before I arrived to take out the rest along with the fedora wearing asshole. Which means that we still have a psychotic man child unaccounted for and a delusional attention seeking social climber that needs to be reminded of her place".

Frowning at the reminder that her little pest control problem had been less complete than she had originally wished it to be, Rias allowed some of her dissatisfaction to show as she answered Dante's question.

"Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, Freed managed to escape, though judging by his parting comment we will be seeing him again in the future".

Receiving a slightly bemused sigh from the black haired rook, Rias was prevented from continuing on by Dante's rather accurate comment.

"Let me guess. After seeing that he couldn't hope to kill any of us before he himself was cut down, he jumped through a window swearing that he would be the one to finally put me in my grave"?

Slowly nodding her head in agreement with Dante's rather accurate description of what the white haired exorcist had shouted, and deciding that now was not the best time to discover the nature of the relationship between her servant and the insane priest, Rias continued on.

"That about sums it up. Though he did have a parting comment or two for his former supervisor. Which brings me to my next question".

Hearing the mixture of amused disproval in her tone, Dante resigned himself to experiencing the same fate his perverted teammate had undergone numerous times since his conversion into a servant of the next head of the Gremory Clan.

Tedious lecturing from an overbearing female.

…..

Despite having spent much of her childhood being lectured about her duties to God, and how she should always be on guard against the forces of Evil, Asia Argento found herself to be greatly enjoying her new life as a Devil.

Yes it saddened her that she could no longer receive God's favor because she had fallen far beyond any hope of redemption, but for the first time since she had been granted the title of Holy Maiden, she had people who she could call friends.

Yes they were eccentric, and yes they were Devils, but they nevertheless went out of their way to treat her like a normal person.

Though she had exchanged few spoken words with the white haired girl, Asia nevertheless got the impression that Koneko viewed her with kindness, especially since it had quickly become apparent that she was the only one that was allowed to partake in her sweets.

Kiba acted like a kind, if slightly distant brother who made her feel welcome, although from what she had seen, there was something slightly forced about his pleasant expression. But since she was still getting to know her new friends, it was possible that she was simply misreading the blonde Devil

Akeno was like a teasing older sister, who while taking great enjoyment in embarrassing her younger classmates, nevertheless was always willing to offer a piece of advice, or come to her aid when she was experiencing problems.

Her master Rias was the same, if only a tad more serious, and had been the one responsible for allowing her to not only have a second chance at life, but also for allowing her to become closer to the first friend she had ever made.

It still brought a smile to her face when she remembered how kind Issei was to her when she first arrived in Kuoh, and a more flushed expression when she thought about his heroic actions in trying to save her despite the odds he faced. And after being resurrected as a Devil, he, along with a little help from their master, had gone to great lengths to make her feel welcome.

For the first time she could remember, she had a set of parents who lovingly doted on her, even if they tended to ignore their child to do so, a group of friends who treated her like a normal person rather than a holy icon, and perhaps the most surprising of all, a man who managed to inspire feelings of devotion that were/had been equal to that of God.

The only down side, though in her mind it just showed just how considerate Issei was to her wellbeing, was that the brunette Devil was a tad overprotective when it came to her interactions with certain individuals.

"I'm serious Asia. When we get to school, I suggest that you stay away from certain people. I know that you think everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, but trust me. With some people its just smarter to stay away".

Fighting the very real urge to giggle at the comically serious expression that was currently being worn by the usually laid back brunette, Asia quickly moved to assure Issei that she would be careful.

"You don't have to worry about me Issei. I might have never been to a public school before, but I'm confident that with you by my side, I'll be able to handle anything".

Giggling at the look of embarrassment that came over the brunette's face as she voiced her faith in him, Asia's expression soon gained a more troubling look as she noticed the crowd gathered outside the entrance to the school.

And as she turned her attention back towards her brown haired companion, the former nun was certain that her morning had just lost its light hearted atmosphere.

….

Though she should have expected her appearance to cause such an enthusiastic reaction, an ever present problem for the female members of her kind when forced to interact with mortals, the presence of her frostily polite companion/jailer only served to make things worse.

For one, the presence of the currently smiling Devil meant that she was denied her usual method of dealing with obnoxious humans, preferably involving a light spear to a gut if she was too lazy to hypnotize them. And secondly, though her tone and expression she was currently wearing could be considered to be warm and welcoming, Akeno's words nevertheless revealed that she viewed her current task to be unpleasant.

"I would have thought that a girl of your circumstances would be more than willing to bask in the praise shown by those she deems less than herself. A pity that your sole talent appears to be just as much as an illusion as your current form. Makes me wonder how you've managed to survive as long as you have".

Gritting her teeth before remembering the role she was forced to resume, Raynare managed to mirror her companions smiling expression as she came up with a sweetly delivered barb of her own.

"Probably because unlike you, my kind is at least strong enough to take what we need rather than bargain for it like some lowly salesmen. Surprised your master hasn't considered exploiting the more lustful thoughts of Kuoh's Devil worshipers. Though with a mouth as vile as yours, I doubt that any would wish for you to have fun with their little wo...OUCH"!

Doing her best not to give into the urge to rub her now injured foot, for the short skirt that was part of her uniform would have proceeded to give quite the show if she either raised her leg or bent over, the Fallen Angel settled for shooting a venomous glare towards her falsely apologetic companion.

"Oh dear I'm terribly sorry about that Ray. My foot tends to have a life of its own when I hear less than savory things about my friends. Speaking of which, I trust that you'll be able to remain civil when we meet with our fellow club members? Our club president would be most unhappy if she discovered that you were bullying her precious club members, so I hope you keep that in mind when your vulgar nature rears its ugly head".

Though it pained her to do so, Raynare nevertheless nodded her head at the serenely smiling Devil's warning.

"Not to worry. As long as your...comrades choose to limit themselves to words alone, I assure you that I will be able to keep my temper. But if I'm threatened with anything more, I'll.."

"Prove that the boasts of belonging to a superior race are nothing but empty words. Cause if you think about it, you've already proven yourself weaker than a new born Devil. And if you take into consideration of what my injured servant was able to accomplish…well it doesn't exactly speak well of your abilities does it".

Scowling at the mocking voice of the girl who had been mere inches from sending her to her death, the fallen angel was prevented from speaking thanks to the sudden interruption of the one responsible for her predicament.

"Oh I'm sure improvements can be made if she's willing to put in the effort. Would be quite disappointing to have a servant even the pervert can easily defeat. That is if you manage to piss him off enough".

Surprised though she was at having a Devil speak up in her defence, let alone the one who had forced her into servitude as payment for his own circumstances, Raynare turned to face her two new companions. One of them who looked like she was genuinely considering what the deceptively smiling boy had just said.

"I suppose you do have a point Dante. And since you're the one who convinced me to spare her life, it falls to you to make sure that her heightened abilities are put to good use. I trust that between your normal duties and the training you'll be enduring once I've had a brief word with Akeno and Koneko, you'll be able to spend some time teaching your pet crow what she needs to know in order to remain on my good side"?

Feeling a growing sense of unease at the developing proof that her life now rested in the hands of more than 1 overly sadistic Devil, Raynare was surprised by the answer her new master gave to the currently smiling Gremory.

"As long as you stop trying to tell what MY servant can and cannot do, I do not foresee a problem. Also, I thought that we only agreed on Akeno teaching me what I need to know in respect to my new…life style".

Deciding it was best to hold her tongue despite the very real desire to voice her confusion, the Fallen Angel was subject to the very amusing sight of Dante being told that he was only getting half of what he wanted.

"I suppose that's fair. Even if the circumstances are unusual, every Devil has the right to treat their servant in any manner they see fit. Though I do ask you to keep her on a little bit of a tight leash. Retaliatory insults are acceptable, but I would prefer if her snark levels remained lower than your own. And as for the other thing, I thought it would be wise to have you trained by someone who possesses the same physical potential as you do".

Grateful though she was at having her proverbial collar loosened, even if it meant that she had to first listen to the pervert's whining tone before she could offer a scathing retort, Dante's barely noticeable eye twitch was enough to make her question whether or not it was worth it.

Though his answer greatly surprised not only herself, but also the pair of female Devils as well.

"Then I guess that I'll be utilizing the Nun's healing ability more than I previously thought. The midget doesn't strike me as a sadist, but I sincerely doubt she'll coddle me like you do with the pervert".

Unsure if she should laugh or cower in fear as an annoyed look came over Gremory's face, not to mention the gleeful expression that was currently being sported by the pony tailed Devil, Raynare had to admit that she was impressed by the red head's ability to keep her cool despite her obvious irritation.

"I believe you have just said that it's the right of every Devil to treat their servants in the manner that they wish. But rest assured, I will soon be correcting the list of physical deficiencies that Issei currently possesses. Just as I will change your disrespectful attitude by having you train with the less forgiving members of my peerage".

Earning little more than a scoff from her black haired servant, and judging that now was not the time to dwell on such things, Rias sighed as she turned her attention towards the Fallen Angel.

"Since I can already tell that Dante is going to be a bit lax when it comes to acting like a responsible master, let me just remind you that slipping back into your old habits will NOT be tolerated. Do you understand"?

Receiving a shaky nod from the raven haired girl, Rias's expression quickly turned cheerful.

"Excellent. Now that most of the pleasantries are out of the way, I'll see the pair of you later this afternoon. I have something special I want to tell everyone, and I will not tolerate any tardiness. Understand Dante"?

Recognizing the unspoken threat in his smiling master's words, and feeling that he had already pushed his luck too far to get away with any further disrespect, the black haired Devil nodded his head in agreement.

"Good. Remember what we talked about this morning, and there should be no further problems. Raynare, I've taken the liberty of having you placed in the same homeroom and Akeno and I, so you'll be coming with us".

Grabbing the shocked, yet slightly relieved girl by the wrist, and ignoring the excited gossiping of the surrounding humans, Rias proceeded to drag the former agent of heaven into the school while leaving her remaining servants to talk things over.

"I hope that Rias's teasing hasn't made you reconsider your previous enthusiasm to have me teach you? Brutal though my techniques may be, they nevertheless achieve their desired results. And considering your….durability, I can honestly say that I'm looking forward to the hor..I mean exercises I plan to put you through".

Giggling at the deadpan expression of her fellow servant, for she had to admit it was far better than the usual scowl he showed whenever he was annoyed, Akeno couldn't help her imagination to take hold as considered the nature of their future training sessions.

Not to mention those Koneko would put him through once she told her of the amusing nickname Dante had bestowed on her. Perhaps if she asked real nicely, or at the very least used the time honored gift of bribery, the white haired rook would allow her to help out should the black haired Devil continue his insolence.

She doubted it though, but hey a girl could dream.

…

 **And I think that's a suitable place to leave for now.**

 **Apologises for the time it took to write this particular chapter, actually had 2/3rds of it done in April…but that last part…that took some doing XD. Confess that I had intended on having the chapter end.**

 **As for the timeframe of this story…going with the anime storyline just due to certain aspects that I like more (i.e. the Student Council meeting plus familiar hunting). Actually hope to have that in the next chapter….already got an idea of what familiar will be paired with Dante, as well as how he interacts with Saji.**

 **Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, particularly pleased with how the story is coming in terms of relationship development, even if I AM messing with canon pairings XD.**

 **As always, reviews are welcome…Flamers are not.**

 **Til next time.**


	19. Chp 18 Training

Though she had only been part of Issei's club for less than half a day, the blonde nun could nevertheless sense that the argumentative banter between the two boys was a common occurrence.

"For the last time Hyoudou, I have no interest in making Argento's transition more difficult than it needs to be. Perhaps if you started using that small thing between your ears rather than the worm between your legs, you would have already guessed this".

"Then why does the Kendo Club keep trying to convince her that I'm only her friend because of….impure reasons"?

"I don't know. Probably because you have a past history of allowing your perversions to control your every action. Why you haven't been charged for sexual harassment is still a mystery to me. But I suspect that if you keep it up, you're going to have your own little shower adventure. Except you'll be the girl in that situation".

Confused though she was as to why Issei would turn red from angered embarrassment at that last part, Asia nevertheless summoned the necessary courage to come to the aid of the boy who risked his life to save her.

"Yo…You shouldn't say such unkind things to your friend. And I'm sure that Miss Katase and Miss Murayama are just a tad overzealous in their attempts to make me feel welcome".

Earning a snort of amusement from her black haired classmate, as well as a look of gratitude from her now smiling friend, the former nun was somewhat taken by the reply she received.

"Though we are part of the same club, I highly doubt that Hyoudou and I will ever be more than antagonistic acquaintances. Even if a certain red head wishes for it to be otherwise. As for your comments regarding Kat's and Mura's rather insistent warnings, you'll find that they actually have a credible excuse for acting the way that they do. Or did the pervert fail to tell you of how I first met him"?

Frowning in confusion at the now smirking Devil, Asia was prevented from asking a now embarrassed looking Issei what he meant when an overly friendly voice decided to answer Dante's question before he could.

"Actually, most of the school's female population has told her about your first meeting with the Perverted Trio. Pretty sure that if you had chosen to take advantage of your newfound status, you would have beaten Hyodou in his dream to become the Harem King. But sadly, you seem unwilling to do so despite your level of popularity".

Though slightly confused by the terminology used by the pony tailed brunette, Asia could nevertheless voice her agreement with the latest part of her new friend's statement.

"You have a point Aika. While the girls seem to have nothing but mean things to say against Issei, though they seem reluctant to go into too many details, all of them have nothing but nice things to say about Dante".

Shooting a glare at the now snickering girl, though he was quick to change his expression when Asia turned her head to look at him, Issei struggled to keep his temper under control as he tried to get rid of perhaps the only girl whose depravity matched his own.

"Well as fun as it is too talk about how more popular Inumbro is compared to me, I'm afraid that the 3 of us have an important meeting to attend so if you excuse us Kiryuu".

Though he managed to successfully steer the innocently naïve nun away from the bespectacled girl, Issei, along with his fellow male, cringed in disgust as the perverted girl managed to halt their departure with her usual lewdness.

"I understand completely. But when you two are simultaneously instructing Asia in the arts of pleasure, I trust Issei that you won't feel completely inadequate when you see Dante's massive di...OUCH",

Doing his best not to laugh at the corruptive girl's sudden discomfort, for he was certain that Asia would strongly chastise him for making fun of one of the people she considered to be her friends, Issei managed to somehow remain silent as the cause for Aika's predicament offered genuine sounding words of sympathy.

"Oh dear are you all right Kiryuu? Perhaps it would be wise for you to seek out the nurses office. I am unfamiliar with the insects that are indigenous to this country, but I'm certain that it would be wiser to seek medical at once rather than remain here".

Rubbing her slightly swollen arm in some discomfort, and shooting a quick look of assurance to a understandably concerned looking Asia, the bespectacled girl quickly left to follow the advice of the sympathetic looking Devil.

It was only after she had left their line of sight that Dante allowed a small smirk to cross his face as he addressed his perverted companion.

"Congratulations Hyoudou. It seems that there does in fact exist someone in this school who I find even more annoying than you. Though it's a shame that I can't use my powers on her as often as I do on you. Too bad really. I thought the conjured bee was one of my more inspired moments of brilliance".

Though he hated to agree with his fellow Devil, Issei found himself nodding his head. Although he quickly regretted it as a certain former nun decided to come to the defence of the recently departed human.

"You really shouldn't be soo mean to others Dante. Ok Aika is a bit….forward at times, but that's no reason to hurt her".

Rolling his eyes in exasperation at Asia's insistence in seeing the good in others, Dante's annoyance quickly evaporated as he noticed the pained expression of his perverted teammate.

"I suppose you have a point. I mean, its not like Kiryuu has done anything to warrant a more...direct form of punishment for her various misdeeds. Something which I'm sure your intimately familiar with ay Hyoudou"?

Smirking at the infuriated expression that came over Issei's face at the not so subtle reminder of the consequences of his past actions, Dante's recently obtained good humor was further increased by the inquisitive, and if his ears weren't deceiving him, reproachful sounding tone of the innocent nun.

"What does he mean by that Issei"?

Deciding it would best to remain silent as he witnessed Issei's rather amusing attempt to placate the woman, Dante's attention was pulled away from the potential argument by the latest contact he had programmed into his cellphone.

 _Heaven, must be missing an angel_

 _Missing one angel child_

 _Cause you're here with me right now_

Ignoring the incredulous looks he was receiving from his fellow Devils, though he could tell that Asia's was filled more with curiosity rather than Issei's clear disgust, the black haired Devil didn't even get a chance to greet his newly acquired servant before she delivered her message.

"Your master wants me to tell you that the club meeting has been pushed back for a couple of hours. So until it starts, both you and the pervert are conduct some training exercises with blondie and the white haired midget".

Suspecting that Raynare was currently by herself at that point, or at the very least far enough away from Koneko to get away with mocking her height, Dante nevertheless concealed his amusement at the Fallen Angel's attitude with a curt word of acknowledgement".

"Understood".

Smirking in amusement at the rather abrupt way she ended the call, for he recognized the fact that Raynare's attitude was similar, if not identical to the one he had possessed after his own enslavement, Dante turned his attention towards his fellow Devils.

"It appears that our master has decided to run a couple of errands before today's meeting, and until she gets back, we're to receive some manner of instruction from our fellow club members. Though what sort of training they have in store for you Argento, I cannot say".

Dismissive though his tone might have been, the black haired Devil was nevertheless honest in his curiosity on how Rias would go about training her latest servant nun. For from his brief association with the girl, he rightly suspected that the girl lacked the mindset to cause others harm, which probably meant that their red haired master would concentrate on developing her healing abilities.

He wasn't sure how Rias would go about doing it, but he suspected that the methods of instruction would be far different from what he was about to experience.

And judging by the puzzled look that had come over Issei's face, not to mention Asia herself, Dante could tell that thought had occurred to them too.

But unlike the black haired Devil, whose method of interacting with his teammates could hardly be labeled as friendly and supportive, the brunette quickly came up with a more positive response to prevent Asia from feeling left out.

"I'm sure that Rias has planned something for you to Asia. Though I doubt it's going to be as strenuous as what Inumbro's is going to be put through".

Allowing a smile to spread across his features as he watched Asia beam in happiness at being included, Issei's expression became somewhat sour as the deceptively sweet tone of his male teammate interrupted what had previously been a touching moment.

"You're forgetting to include yourself Hyoudou. While your training in comparison to mine is likely to be less intense, I'm certain that it won't be a walk in the park for you. And before you start going on how more manly you are than me, keep in mind that you were only able to defeat my new servant with multiple uses of a force multiplier, while I was able was able to accomplish far more despite the rather sorry state of my body at the time. Just something to consider when you're comparing our base physical capabilities".

Smirking at the Issei's glaring expression, and having little desire in continuing the conversation since he was certain he would soon be turned into a convenient outlet for his fellow rook's frustrations, Dante turned his back on his fellow Devils and proceeded to make his way to the Occult clubroom.

Though if he had cared to look behind him, he would have seen that Issei's expression morph into a slightly depressed look, while Asia did her best to silently encourage him.

….

"Give me 20 more"

Though her face was the usual blank expression she wore in public, Koneko's eyes shown with noticeable amusement as she watched her male teammates struggle with the tasks she had assigned them.

Grunting in pain as he tried to fulfil the sadistic request of his white haired trainer, Issei tried his best to keep himself from feeling too hopeful as Asia decided to take a break from her own training and voice her concern.

"Umm, forgive me for asking this Koneko, but shouldn't you go a little easier on them? I mean, I can understand that exercise is important for getting one stronger, but I think you should start them off with something that is a tad easier".

Watching the brunette Devil complete another push up before turning her attention towards the former nun, who was currently wearing the school's gym uniform, the white haired Devil gave a simple nod of her head.

"Your right. 10 more push up for Issei before he has to do some laps. And Dante will do 5 more sit ups before our boxing match".

Earning a cry of anguish from the pawn, though in truth it was more like a whimper, Koneko found herself resisting the very real urge to grin as her fellow rook voiced his own misgivings with her training program.

"Are you sure that's wise? I mean, I sincerely doubt that Hyoudou will be any condition to run after you had him do 100 push ups while balancing 150 lbs of weights on his back. And since I'm having some difficulty performing my more difficult task with twice the weight, I suspect that my performance in the ring will be similarly disappointing".

Tilting her head to the side as she considered argument of the more composed male, Koneko found herself nodding her head in agreement as the forced addition to their ranks decided to make her opinion known.

"Oh but you can't quit now Master. The saying 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' is a rather accurate description for Devil kind. And since the nun actually possesses the ability to drag you back from death's door, I think you'll benefit from whatever horrors the midget has in store for you".

Earning a pair of matching glares from the two Gremory rooks, Raynare's mocking smile quickly morphed into a panicked expression as Dante turned towards his fellow Devil with a undeniably cruel smirk.

"Koneko. Should my servant continue to act in a disrespectful manner towards either you or me, you have my permission to chastise her however you see fit".

Not bothering to hide her small, but nonetheless present smirk at the sadistic, yet generous nature of her fellow rook, Koneko briefly glanced at the still struggling Issei before speaking in her monotone voice.

"What about the pervert"?

Flashing a quick look of disinterest at his fellow Devil, who promptly shot him a look that was part glower part disbelief, Dante merely offered a dismissive upside down shrug as he managed to complete his final set of reps.

"Provided that she doesn't saying anything too insulting, she can say what ever she wants. I trust you know what I will and will not tolerate Raynare"?

Seeing the Fallen Angel open her mouth to deliver what was certain to be an insult, Dante discreetly used his powers to manipulate the shadows so that they formed a needle like shard, which proceeded to gently hold itself against the back of Raynare's neck.

Eyes widening in fear as she felt the sharp weapon lightly touch her skin, Raynare swallowed what ever biting comment she might have said and hesitantly nodded her head in agreement with her master's question.

Dismissing the conjured weapon with a brief wave of his hand, something which caused the Fallen Angel to sigh in relief, the black haired Devil merely raised an eyebrow at the unimpressed look that was currently adorning the face of his fellow rook.

"Something wrong Koneko"?

Receiving a single nod from the white haired Devil, Dante expected to receive a violent tongue lashing for his treatment of his new servant, but instead was met with a solidly delivered blow to the gut.

Doubling over in pain as he fell to the ground, the black haired rook managed to raise his head to glare not at the miniature Devil, but at the currently laughing pawn.

Fortunately however, while Koneko had just displayed that she wasn't going to put up with his less than pleasant antics, she was also quite unwilling to do the same for Issei's less than stellar attitude.

"Keep it up pervert and you'll be joining him. 20 laps, now".

Allowing a small smile of satisfaction to cross her features at the sight of the male Devil fearfully rushing to obey her spoken order, Koneko turned her attention back towards her fellow rook, who managed to haul himself back to his feet before being knocked down again courtesy of a leg sweep.

"First lesson. If your opponent is still capable of movement, then they are still capable of fighting back".

Snarling in painful frustration as he once again picked himself back up, and noticing that the white haired Devil had barely moved from her position, Dante quickly went onto the attack.

Only to knocked on his ass again by a rather forceful kick to the chest.

"Second lesson. Never allow your emotions to control you in a fight".

Offering a particularly hateful glare at his unemotional trainer, and seeing little point in being treated like a human sized punching bag, the black haired Devil decided to put an end this training session with his inherited abilities.

…..

Hanging up the phone with a disappointed sigh, Rias couldn't help but begin to wonder if the fates were purposefully against the idea of maintaining her independence.

She had thought that her actions in securing her territory would be sufficient enough to prove that she did not need to subject herself to the humiliating prospect of becoming a trophy wife, but her family thought otherwise.

Yes the unlawful intrusion had been taken care of.

And yes she had acquired a servant whose healing powers were considered to be valuable.

But she had allowed one of her servants to be captured by the enemy, who subjected him to torture before he managed to escape under his own power. And she supported the disobedient nature of another servant, which could have resulted in the resumption of hostilities between Devil and Fallen Angel kind.

Luckily the governor of the Fallen Angels had labeled the group as acting independently of his wishes, but the fact remained that her actions could have potentially led to a new war.

And it was for that reason that her family was now no longer willing to give into her attempts to stall her arranged marriage.

Yes they still promised that she wouldn't be married until she was in college, but her brother told her that there was an increasingly strong likelihood that Riser would soon lose his patience and come to claim what he believed was his.

That thought brought a scowl to her face, for she was no ones possession, and she would go to any means in order to keep it that way.

"Judging by the look on your face, I take that it that the conversation did not go the way you hoped for"?

Shooting a tired glare at the uncharacteristically demure acting Akeno, Rias shook her head as she recalled the finer points of the conversation she had just had with her brother.

"You are correct in your assumption Akeno. My brother's done all that he can to help me, but sadly his position prevents him from getting directly involved. And to make matters worse, even though I should have gotten some acknowledgement for clearing our territory of those Fallen Angels, it appears that my…fiancé has not given up his quest to achieve his prize earlier than originally planned".

Frowning at the mention of her master's uncouth fiancé, who had on more than one occasional made it clear through his actions that he had no intention of treating Rias as more than a highly valued conquest, Akeno remained silent as the red haired heiress continued to try and find a silver lining to her current predicament.

Though it was obvious that it was somewhat difficult for her to do so when it appeared that her family was less than sympathetic to her plight.

"I suppose it could be worse. My parents haven't outright shown their support for Rizer's request. And every day that they manage to withhold their blessing is one more day I can spend proving to them that I do not need an arranged marriage to honor my family name".

Nodding her head to show that she full heartedly agreed with her sentiment, Akeno had to fight the very real urge to giggle as Rias moved to a related, but far more amusing topic.

"That being said, I trust you informed my more troublesome servants that they are to use my slight delay to improve upon their skill sets? Issei needs to learn how to properly conduct himself in a hostile situation. And Dante needs to learn how to fight with his new abilities".

Humming in mild agreement with her master, Akeno couldn't help but voice her curiosity at the last part of the red head's statement.

"Surely Dante's battle prowess is already substantial as is. I mean, yes he has a tendency to use his shadow controlling abilities instead of getting his hands dirty, but he's shown to be have excellent control over them, even while heavily injured. Or do you think that just anyone can enact a bondage scene when their body is poisoned and their bones are broken"?

Frowning as she recalled the state of her rook's body, Rias had to reluctantly concede that her queen had a point. Albeit a small one.

"True. But if at the time of his capture he had access to the same level of strength Koneko has, then its highly possible that he wouldn't have suffered as much as he did in the first place. So training him to the same standard as his fellow rook will be benefital for both him and us. I trust that Koneko had no issue in taking Dante under her wing"?

Allowing an amused grin to spread across her face as she remembered the relative eagerness the white haired girl had displayed at putting her fellow Devil through the ringer, the raven haired beauty nodded her head.

"No issue at all. She also told me that she would also extend the same kindness to your Longinus carrying servant, but at a lower level of intensity since unlike Dante, Issei has no previous experience in combat what so ever".

Unsure if she should shake her head, or join in Akeno's undeniable amusement at the hell that Koneko was certainly putting her more outspoken servant through, Rias decided in the end to simply enjoy the quite moment of peace before she was reunited with the other members of her peerage.

For while she did not regret her decision, there were still times where even she needed a break from her more…unique servants. Even if she knew that by the time she returned, she would probably have to deal with the results of them being left unsupervised.

And as she and Akeno finally arrived at the field that had served as her peerage's training ground, she was proven correct in her normal assumption.

…

 **And I think this is a good place to leave it XD**

 **Apologises for the wait, and shortness, and the fact that some promised events have not come to pass, but believe there is sufficient 'meat' here to tie you guys over until that point.**

 **As for Raynare...hopefully you all enjoyed the manner in which Dante is treating his new servant. There will be changes in their relationship, but I think this is a nice change of pace from either the repentant fallen angel, or one who gradually falls in love with a more gentle master.**

 **Unsure when next chapter will be uploaded….have a great idea of what to do with the Familiar Forest, AND the meeting with the student council, but have to write the events that precede it after all.**

 **Anyways, as always, plz review, no flames.**

 **Til next time =)**

 **p.s. Hope you all enjoyed the ringtone I used for Raynare. Ever since that 'Ambiance' Scene from Supernatural...I have been meaning to include it into my story XD Strongly urge you to watch it on utube...if only to see a dancing Lucifer XD**


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